It’s a sad day in Trumpland as our former grifter-in-chief has been hit with another barrage of indictments, these dealing with Jan. 6.
Anyway, I thought you all would appreciate a thread to talk about the indictments and whatever else catches your fancy.
Oh, and a quick note from me: I’ve been taking a break from posting to clear my head and take care of some things. I should be back and posting normally soon.
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Wow. I broke my wrist and lived in denial about it for a while, due to lack of money and a misdiagnosis from an urgent care center. When I finally saw a doctor and got x-rayed, it turned out that my wrist was broken in more than one place and the bone had already started growing back, which makes surgery more complicated. Six weeks after the break, I had the operation, which my health care plan (mostly) covered. But I was going to have great difficulty paying the balance. Thank the Goddess, my surgery was done at a university hospital, which in California at least is legally obligated to offer payment assistance if the patient is without funds. So I consider myself to be one lucky American. My country, ’tis of thee and all that — but why does my very own country consider me a liability, not an asset.
Magistrate Judge Upadhyaya is kinda awesome. Good on her for referring to him as “Mr. Trump,” ‘cos dammit, that’s the ETIQUETTE. I was taught in school (during the Reagan administration, no less) that once a president leaves office, you don’t call them “Mr. President” because that honorific only applies to the present occupant of the White House. Instead you’re supposed to use the highest title they’d earned before elected to the presidency. I admit I don’t always respect this, but using “President Obama” or “President Bush” in casual conversation in a private setting is no big deal. A formal occasion, like a legal proceeding, is another matter.
Been chatting about this with all the US ConLaw people. Some interesting historical examples. e.g. When JFK sought Eisenhower’s advice during the Cuban Missile Crisis, Ike referred to JFK as “Mr President” and JFK called Ike “General”.
Generally though it seems you can use “Mr President” or eg “President Carter” for any still alive ex presidents in informal settings, but only the current incumbent can be referred to as The President. Anyone else is The Former President.
One of the reasons it would have been awkward for the late Queen to abdicate is what would we have called her? Does she become the Queen Mother? But then does Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon become the Queen Mother’s Mother?
How about Dowager President?
Fun(ish) Fact: The QE2 wasn’t named after the Elizabeth II. She was the second ship named after Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon.
@Alan
That pretty much matches what I’ve seen. For example, during his immediate post-presidency period, Barack Obama appeared as a guest on The Daily Show, and Trevor Noah addressed him as “Mr. President.” Mr. Obama waved that off, saying, “That’s somebody else now.” I suspect if Secretary Clinton had been declared the winner, he would’ve said, “No, Hilary’s president now” and segued into a brief statement of support.
ETA: If I ever meet Barack Obama, I suspect the best I will manage is a squeaked “Voted for you, sir!” and then babble about how my late father’s final presidential election vote was for him in 2008, and that Dad was a Cubs fan. I would be embarrassed, and he’d probably be gracious AF (for a White Sox fan).
@Alan Robertshaw:
One of the reasons it would have been awkward for the late Queen to abdicate is what would we have called her? Does she become the Queen Mother? But then does Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon become the Queen Mother’s Mother?
How about Dowager President?
Thank you for affording me a cue to dump this gratuitous Historical Fun Fact: Fujiwara no Tashi (1140-1202 CE) spent five years in the singular (and rather awkward) position of being simultaneously Grand Empress Dowager and Empress Consort of Japan (as well as her own aunt/niece-in-law), having married an uncle and nephew in succession; she became known as the Empress of Two Generations.
(I suspect that a new title, such as Grand Queen Mother, might’ve been coined had Elizabeth Bowes-Lyons and a Queen Emerita Elizabeth coexisted—but of course I defer to your professional and cultural expertise.)
@ FMO
Ooh cheers, I love facts like that.
I’ll swap you for “Princess Lillibet is constitutionally eligible to be both Queen of England and President of the US”.
And speaking of queens, there are three in this famous photo…
@Alan: “Queen Grandmum”?
(My mother and the Queen Mum had a friend in common, which gave me quite the leg up in 6 Degrees of Separation for some years. I have a Bacon Number of 2 as well.)
@ gss ex-noob
One thing the Queen and the Ramones have in common is that on numerous occasions I had invites to see both but always went “next time”.
I did try to make up for it with our new king, but I got told I was blacklisted. They check your social media and they said I couldn’t be trusted because of the anti blood sports thing.
I’d have been as good as gold though. If I promise not to make a fuss I won’t; I’m very big on promises. And I would like to chat to him about his rather impressive collection of Islamic art (which I did get to see once).
https://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/2023/08/05/thats-texas-logic/
This Orwellian move has been brought to you by the same state that is now making refugees run a gauntlet straight out of the Saw movies to seek asylum in America.
What is with these guys and emulating supervillains? First we had Rick “Kefka” Snyder poison a small Black community in Michigan, then Ron DeathSentence leaving his state woefully underprepared for Hurricane Ian, and now Greg Abbatoir has put on the Jigsaw Killer’s mask, having decided that freezing half his state to death wasn’t gory enough for his liking.
These guys belong in the defendant’s dock at the Hague, not in state governorships and Presidential primaries.
@Snownerry
I know it has been 4 or so days now, but… If Trump gets convicted on the charges under the Espionage Act, even just one of them? That would make him ineligible to hold public office ever again. That’s specifically written into the law in that case.
@Alan Robertshaw:
One thing the Queen and the Ramones have in common is that on numerous occasions I had invites to see both but always went “next time”.
I, for one, was not even remotely expecting to run out of original Ramones before Beatles.
@ FMO
Indeed.
I guess you know about the Beatles/Ramones connection? Paul Ramon being McCartney’s stage name in the Germany days.
Of course, the Beatles pretty much were the Ramones back then.
In other news, if you want some brain bleach, I met a very cute bunny last night. Who appeared to be on a bit of a road protest.
https://twitter.com/HouseChambers/status/1688250467799769088
@Alan: Why does the camera think it’s 2018? Bunny is cute, though.
Spoke to my brother last night. He happened to be in front of the TV for this last indictment, live. Said the words “is in custody” made him very happy.
@ gss ex-noob
Not sure. Although being Cornwall I wouldn’t rule out time warp.
He was very cute. But I’m the one who pays road tax; so shift it. I tried to drive round him really slowly but he kept running in front. So in the end I just had to give it a bit of grunt. Even then he started running after me. Hardcore. Probably looking for Albuquerque.
If this man uses ‘Mutant’ as an transphobic slur one more time, I’ll make like Destiny and shoot him with a crossbow
Is 45’s cult going to “Weekend At Bernie’s” him when he finally does kick it?
@Phantom Cheese: Some of them might want to, but all of them are going to claim it was the deep state or somesuch, even if he drops dead on live TV in his 90s.