April 29, 2024

Long, tough but worthwhile Slate story re: Arab American vote in Michigan

The Storm Brewing in Michigan
Are Arabs in the state really prepared to hand the presidency back to Donald Trump? In a word: yes.

BY AYMANN ISMAIL
APRIL 29, 20245:45 AM


(Slate) With its rich, dark wood, golden décor, and an invigorating oud musk, the American Moslem Society on the south end of Dearborn, Michigan, masks its age well. Opened in 1937, it was the first mosque in America to broadcast the call to prayer through loud speakers. It was founded by Arab immigrants who had initially been drawn by the promise of $5-a-day jobs at a nearby Ford plant, which laid the foundation for what is now America’s largest concentration of Arab Americans.

On a recent Friday there, an imam clad in a traditional white thobe and kufi delivered his sermon. Several hundred worshipers sat on the blue-patterned carpet stretching across the space and listened attentively as the imam evoked scenes of devastation from Israel’s relentless bombardment of Gaza. “True attachment to Allah is demonstrated beautifully by our brothers and sisters in Palestine and in Gaza,” he said. “When they see the dead bodies of family members and they are asked what their message is to the world, they reply, ‘We Belong to Allah, and to him we shall return.’ They know that whoever is truthful with Allah, Allah will never abandon them, even if they are betrayed by all of creation.”

....(snip)....

“If it came down to Trump and Joe Biden, I will vote for Trump. Because it doesn’t get worse than Joe Biden,” a man named Salah told me. His friend, Amad, added, “Biden was supposed to be the peacemaker. The comfort-maker. Instead, he became accessory to the biggest genocide in modern history.”

Biden had recently overcome an attempt to disrupt the Michigan Democratic primary with “uncommitted” votes tied to the United States’ support for Israel. But in Dearborn and nearby Hamtramck—home to large Arab populations that were part of a coalition that moved Michigan from Donald Trump to Biden in the 2020 presidential election—Biden lost. And the people here made clear they plan to bring the fight to November. ............(more)

https://slate.com/human-interest/2024/04/donald-trump-joe-biden-2024-election-michigan-muslims.html

April 29, 2024

RFK is now openly gunning for Trump voters -- and Republicans are starting to worry

RFK is now openly gunning for Trump voters — and Republicans are starting to worry
Kennedy wants more marks for his anti-vaccination grift — he'll find way more of them by marketing to MAGA

By AMANDA MARCOTTE
Senior Writer
PUBLISHED APRIL 29, 2024 6:00AM (EDT)


(Salon)

.....But curiously this email did not come from Trump or Lake or any other figures associated with the ethics-free world of MAGA campaigning. It came, readers may not be surprised to learn, from the campaign of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., an independent presidential candidate. The conventional wisdom in Washington has long been that Kennedy is running a spoiler campaign against President Joe Biden, trying to siphon off enough Democratic votes that Donald Trump wins the election. After all, Kennedy used to be a Democrat and his name is so famous his family had to hold a presser disavowing his candidacy.

This email, however, seems squarely aimed at would-be Trump voters, the only people so soaked in pandemic paranoia and conspiracy theories that any of this would even make sense to them. It's a weird choice for someone trying to undermine Biden's chances! It makes sense, however, if we assume that Kennedy's main priority with his fake run for president is not to spoil the race, but to draw attention and recruit new marks for his longstanding anti-vaccination grift. If you're looking for gullible people who will give you money to lie to them, you will be far more successful appealing to Trump voters than Biden voters.

For months, polls have shown that Kennedy is taking away more voters from Biden than Trump, based mostly on Democrats who are dissatisfied with Biden and who knew little about Kennedy besides his name. That's shifted recently. A new NBC News poll shows Biden is two points behind Trump in a two-way race, but two points ahead of Trump if Kennedy is an option. In a Marist poll, Biden's three-point lead widens to five points if Kennedy is on the ballot. It appears the more voters learn about Kennedy — that he's anti-vaccine, a conspiracy theorist, and an all-around weirdo — the more Democrats are turned off and the more MAGA voters are intrigued.

....(snip)....

The QAnon angle is one that is often overlooked when discussing Kennedy, but shouldn't be. One of the most popular QAnon prophecies is that Kennedy's deceased first cousin, John F. Kennedy Jr., is secretly alive and will make his triumphant return to the public eye in 2024 when he is announced as Trump's running mate. It's likely not a coincidence, then, that earlier this month, Kennedy tweeted, "President Trump calls me an ultra-left radical. I’m soooo liberal that his emissaries asked me to be his VP. I respectfully declined the offer." .................(more)

https://www.salon.com/2024/04/29/rfk-is-now-openly-gunning-for--and-are-starting-to-worry/

April 29, 2024

The gag "trap" of Manhattan's hush-money trial: "Trump will take the bait"

The gag "trap" of Manhattan's hush-money trial: "Trump will take the bait"
Will Donald Trump take the stand in his own defense? Experts weigh in on his first criminal trial

By CHAUNCEY DEVEGA
Senior Writer
PUBLISHED APRIL 29, 2024 5:45AM (EDT)


(Salon) The second week of Donald Trump’s historic criminal trial in Manhattan for allegedly paying “hush money” to his mistress Stormy Daniels to conceal their relationship from the public during the 2016 presidential election has concluded and week three begins today.

....(snip)....

In an attempt to make better sense of the second week of Donald Trump’s hush-money trial, its implications for the 2024 Election and the larger democracy crisis, and what may happen next, I recently spoke with a range of experts.

Cheri Jacobus is a political strategist, writer, ex-Republican, and host of the podcast "Politics With Cheri Jacobus."

Trump seems small, shriveled, old, pathetic, and weak, falling asleep, (among other things), and whining in pressers and on Truth Social to the point where anyone else would have been tossed in the slammer for violating the gag order. He has no family with him, no friends, and mistakenly thought the streets around the courthouse were blocked because the streets were void of pro-Trump protesters. In fact, the main street was open and only one Trump supporter showed up. If this was happening to almost anyone other than Trump, one could feel sorry for him. Trump's fear is visible. Palpable. And fills me with glee.

....(snip)....

Brynn Tannehill is a journalist and author of "American Fascism: How the GOP is Subverting Democracy."

..... The biggest two things I'm looking for are whether Trump takes the stand (he will want to desperately, but he's a terrible witness, it will likely make the situation way worse, and his lawyers know it), and when he finally crosses the line and ends up spending a night in jail for contempt. I think the latter is more or less a foregone conclusion given he's going to be hearing nasty things about himself for weeks, he has anger issues, poor self-control, and the initial punishment is going to be so weak that it will reinforce his belief that he can get away with it indefinitely. Finally, I'm really looking forward to seeing if the DA can make a convincing case that the way the hush money payments were made was illegal, and not just sketchy and underhanded politics. That was always the toughest hill to climb and made this the weakest of the four criminal cases against him. ..............(more)

https://www.salon.com/2024/04/29/the-gag-trap-of-manhattans-hush-money-trial-trump-will-take-the-bait/

April 27, 2024

It's all the media's fault

It’s all the media’s fault
We’re a consolidated lazy miasma of ignorance – and the government is to blame for that

By BRIAN KAREM
Columnist
PUBLISHED APRIL 27, 2024 6:01AM (EDT)


(Salon) ....(snip)....

Stern, who dressed up in a suit a little too small for his expanding girth (according to him) fawned over Biden for a bit before asking him a few noteworthy questions. Biden confirmed he’d be willing to debate Donald Trump. That was the big news. But at one point the president turned the tables and asked Stern in essence, why does the media suck today?

Stern blamed social media and Biden said he “hasn’t figured it out yet,” but that the “free press isn’t speaking up as much as it used to.”

....(snip)....

Fewer and fewer companies own more and more of the media outlets, independence is waning and as a result, the news business is just a cash grab built around knee-jerk reactions and preconceived notions. David Pecker’s stewardship of The National Enquirer exposes the worst problems in today’s press. He is the bottom of the barrel and some politicians absolutely love it.

....(snip)....

Media managers could demand better. They do not. They populate the press corps with young, inexpensive, ignorant and arrogant reporters because it serves their bottom line better. The reporters, enamored and, to Stern’s point, fearful, don’t aspire to anything greater than access. They think they’re important just because they’re in the room, yet they are often more politically naïve than Howard Stern. As we gather for the “Nerd Prom” the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in D.C. this evening, what exactly are we celebrating? Our mediocrity? .................(more)

https://www.salon.com/2024/04/27/its-all-the-medias-fault/

April 26, 2024

"Wreak havoc": Text messages suggest a top Wisconsin Republican tried to suppress Black vote

(Salon) Wisconsin GOP operative Carlton Huffman is blowing the whistle on what he claims was an effort to suppress Black votes ahead of the 2020 election. While unproven confessions from a disgraced figure accused of sexual assault may be viewed with suspicion, the text messages he revealed to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel implicate new Wisconsin GOP executive director Andrew Iverson in an apparent 2020 election plot to sabotage "Souls to the Polls," a Black-led voter turnout group.

"Can Mario [Herrera, head of Hispanic outreach for Trump Victory] help get some Trump supporters to participate in Souls to the Polls?" Iverson texted Huffman on Election Day. "'Can't wait to go vote for President Trump!' Wearing [sic] MAGA hat or something."

The then-Wisconsin state head of Trump Victory continued: "I'm excited about this. Wreak havoc." .....................(more)

https://www.salon.com/2024/04/25/wreak-havoc-text-messages-suggest-a-top-wisconsin-tried-to-suppress-black-vote/?in_brief=true

April 26, 2024

Trump's isolation deepens after his coup crew is hit with Arizona criminal indictments

Trump's isolation deepens after his coup crew is hit with Arizona criminal indictments
The January 6 co-conspirators are likely too wrapped up in their criminal cases to help Trump with another coup

By AMANDA MARCOTTE
Senior Writer
PUBLISHED APRIL 26, 2024 6:00AM (EDT)


(Salon) Because Donald Trump himself wasn't indicted, there was a surprisingly muted response to the announcement, late on Wednesday, that Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes had indicted a school bus full of Republican activists and operatives on felony charges related to Trump's efforts to steal the 2020 election. A real "Trump himself or it doesn't count" bar has been set regarding interest levels in coup-related cases. The previous indictment for the same scheme in Georgia did include the former president, leading to his infamous mug shot from the Fulton County Jail. Plus, Trump himself is on trial in New York City on charges of cheating in the 2016 election, leading to a tasty stream of images of him looking bedraggled as he goes in and out of court. Hearing that Rudy Giuliani is getting arrested again just can't compete.

But it's time to take a longer look at these Arizona charges because they will have a major impact on Trump personally, even if he is not indicted (yet) for his role. These charges further erode his already-collapsing support system. Trump goes to court most days without family or friends, just his lawyers and security, people who are paid to be there. Despite his endless pleading, he can't even get his followers to show up to demonstrate outside the courthouse. The people who were willing to commit crimes to keep him in office in 2020 now have to face the real possibility that sticking by Trump's side raises their chances of going to prison. Even those foolish enough to take that risk, I suspect, are going to be too busy trying to fend off criminal charges from the last attempted coup to have much time to help Trump with planning the next one.

....(snip)....

To be certain, not everyone involved in the coup conspiracy has scootched away from Trump. Boris Epshteyn, a longtime Trump stooge, traveled with him Thursday to court in Manhattan, even as he didn't go into the building. Epshsteyn was among the 18 people indicted in Arizona on Wednesday. Notably, though, this is the first time Epshteyn has been in legal trouble — for his role in the coup, at least. He's been arrested twice before, once for bar-fighting in 2014 and again for groping women in a bar in 2021. The latter is a well-known way to impress Trump. Sure enough, shortly thereafter, Epshteyn's star began to rise in Trump world, even though the charges were later reduced to disorderly conduct. But Epshteyn is learning the lesson that seems to come for most Trump cronies: Stick with Trump and, sooner or later, you'll either be under arrest or striking a cooperation deal with the prosecution.

....(snip)....

Are Republicans finally starting to learn that Trump will never return the loyalty he's shown? His loneliness at trial is a promising hint that they may, finally, be starting to get it. Sure, Republican politicians like Speaker of the House Mike Johnson of Louisiana still know they have to make a big public display of kissing Trump's ring. (Though notably, he did so and then turned around and passed the Ukraine aid Trump hates.) But it's telling that even the biggest Trump bootlickers in Congress just keep not finding the time to visit him in New York, though his miserable expressions suggest he could use a little cheering up these days. Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., knows the trial is right in her backyard, but somehow she couldn't take a day away from demagoguing about Ivy League universities to hold Trump's hand through it for a day. Maybe she's worried about the smell? It is hard to wash it out of those ugly blazers she loves wearing. Or maybe she, like an increasing number of Republicans, is finally starting to get it: Getting close to Trump and his various criminal schemes, even if it's just to sit through a trial, is dangerous business. Indeed it's best to leave him to hang out and dry. ................(more)

https://www.salon.com/2024/04/26/isolation-deepens-after-his-coup-crew-is-hit-with-arizona-criminal-indictments/

April 25, 2024

'The scene in Detroit is insanity': Maximum capacity reached at NFL draft

( Detroit Free Press). At long last, the 2024 NFL draft is here. Hundreds of thousands of football fans are expected to descend upon downtown Detroit for the sports spectacle that will see more than 200 new players enter the league and hope at an all-time high for all 32 teams, including the Detroit Lions.

While the actual NFL draft begins at 8 tonight with Round 1, the NFL Fan Experience opens to the public at noon, and fans are expected to beging trickling downtown far sooner. We're covering all the action as we bring the excitement to you with live updates and visuals from Detroit.

Keep up with our live updates on what's happening on Day 1 at the NFL draft's theater near Campus Martius and at the NFL Fan Experience in Hart Plaza. .........(more)

https://www.freep.com/story/sports/nfl/lions/2024/04/25/nfl-draft-2024-in-detroit-updates/73430278007/

April 25, 2024

Republicans scrutinize voting rolls and ramp up for mass challenges ahead of election

When Scott Hoen ran to be Carson City, Nevada’s chief election official two years ago, he campaigned on “election integrity,” promising to make sure voter registration lists were accurate.

In the chaotic aftermath of the 2020 presidential election, he believed that too many of his fellow Republicans were convinced that there was widespread voter fraud. By keeping voter rolls current, Hoen thought he could restore voter trust in his county’s election system.

He won. And every day since he took office, he and his staff have tried to keep that focus, using data from all levels of government to remove voters who have moved or died from the active voter list.

....(snip)....

The Nevada lawsuit is just one example of the tactics Republicans and conservative activists are using ahead of November’s presidential election, as they seek to purge voter rolls of allegedly ineligible voters. The efforts have election experts worried about voter access. ................(more)

https://michiganadvance.com/2024/04/25/republicans-scrutinize-voting-rolls-and-ramp-up-for-mass-challenges-ahead-of-election/

April 25, 2024

With Michigan's House seats back on the ballot in 2024, here are the key races to watch

(Michigan Advance) As Tuesday’s campaign filing deadline has passed, the races for the Aug. 6 primary election are beginning to take shape with all 110 seats in the Michigan House of Representatives on the ballot.

Democrats currently hold a narrow 56-54 advantage in the House. As the party also controls the Senate and all top executive posts, Republicans are looking to take back the chamber this fall to serve as a check on Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s power.

....(snip)....

Incumbents face primary challenges

Overall, 36 members of the House who are seeking reelection could have one or more opponents in the primary, with 18 Democrats and 18 Republicans potentially facing a challenger in August.

....(snip)....

Michigan House Speaker Joe Tate (D-Detroit) could be up against three other candidates in August in the 9th District: Bobby Christian, R.M. Nelson and Lory Renea Parks. On the Republican side of the ballot is Michele Lundgren, one of the 15 individuals charged for submitting a false slate of electoral votes for Donald Trump following the 2020 election, which Trump lost to President Joe Biden. ..............(more)

https://michiganadvance.com/2024/04/25/with-michigans-house-seats-back-on-the-ballot-in-2024-here-are-the-key-races-to-watch/

April 25, 2024

"Where's Melania?"

"Where's Melania?": Missing wife is why Trump's lawyers can't pull off the "family man" defense
National Enquirer publisher David Pecker testified that Trump's wife was the last thing on his mind

By AMANDA MARCOTTE
Senior Writer
PUBLISHED APRIL 25, 2024 6:00AM (EDT)


(Salon) In his opening statement in the People v. Donald Trump, defense attorney Todd Blanche told the Manhattan jury to gaze upon the criminal defendant and see a devoted family man. "He’s a man. He’s a husband. He’s a father," Blanche said of the former president accused of election interference. "He’s a person just like you and just like me." Hamfisted as it may be, it was a play by Blanche to distance his cranky, often sleepy client from what promised to be days, if not weeks, of testimony detailing a tawdry conspiracy to pay hush money to an adult film actress in order to cover up what sounds like rampant adultery.

There are many obvious pitfalls in this effort to recast Trump in the image of a suburban sitcom dad. The biggest might be one very noticeable absence in the courtroom. As a reporter who was pointedly ignored by Trump asked on Tuesday: "Where's Melania?"

It's not just the failed fashion model-turned-Mrs. Trump #3 who hasn't shown up in support. None of Trump's five children, or their spouses, have stood by his side in court, either. His two adult sons would rather spend time screening hypothetical future political appointments for "loyalty" than bother to show their father any in-person care at court. His eldest daughter, Ivanka Trump, is posting photos of her fancy vacations rather than staying in New York with her father.

....(snip)....

Trump's alienation is both very funny and deeply satisfying, but it also points to a much bigger legal problem for him: The near-impossibility of pulling off what is often called the "John Edwards defense." The former Democratic presidential candidate was indicted in 2011 for having donors pay off his mistress to keep quiet not just about the affair, but the child the two shared. (Full disclosure: I was interviewed by the FBI during its investigation, as I briefly worked for the Edwards campaign. It was an uneventful interview since I knew nothing about the affair or the payments.) Edwards was ultimately acquitted, in part because he successfully argued the payments were more about hiding his secret from his dying wife than helping him win an election. ................(more)

https://www.salon.com/2024/04/25/wheres-melania-missing-wife-is-why-lawyers-cant-pull-off-the-family-man-defense/