All The News That Fits

 Oh, HELL no!

I remain agnostic about whether filming one of the four (five?) other Trump trials (that we know of) would be useful for democracy. But I'm grateful for this play-by-play.

Given the clown show three lawyers are putting on now with no jury and a client who’s left the state, not just the building, in a civil trial expected to last a month or two? I mean, these guys make me wonder why Trump doesn’t just represent himself. He might as well be.

Gawdelpusall if his federal criminal trials were broadcast and Trump thought the TeeVee audience had skin in the game.

And the House Republicans who didn’t vote to toss out McCarthy are pissed at the Democrats who didn’t pull their fat out of the fire. “Fuck ‘em,” says AOC:

Contrary to how McCarthy’s defenders are behaving, men failing up is not a Constitutionally protected right. 

The man made risky decisions and faced the natural consequences of them. I am not his mom, and my job is not to put pool noodles around hard corners for Republicans.

And on the question of why Democrats would do that:

Yes, because strengthening someone who voted to overturn the election, held the entire US economy hostage, launched a baseless impeachment inquiry without a vote, and refuses to honor his word is what is in the best interest of this country. 

Do some of you hear yourselves?

SO SAY WE ALL!

Hand to God, Doocy speaks for the entire Beltway media: 

Doocy: Is any part of the west wing just loving the fact that Republicans don't appear to be able to govern the one part of the government that they actually control. 

KJP: Nobody is loving that. It is important for congress to work.

And KJP is the adult in the room who makes everyone else say: “Aw, you’re no fun!”

By now, even JMM gets that:

The idea that Ds should have bailed out McCarthy is a codicil of the larger logic of DC punditry in which R bad behavior/destruction is assumed, a baseline like weather, and Ds managing the consequences of that behavior is a given. It’s part of DC being hardwired for the GOP.

In other words, inside the Beltway, the GOP are the anarchic but lovable members of Delta house, and the Democrats are Katie and the hapless President of the fraternity, trying to save the boys from themselves.

Finally, it turns out the trial was more interesting than I’d been led to believe:

Trump's designated attack-dog in this trial is attorney Jesus Suarez. He started by cross-examining former Trump accountant Donald Bender, who had testified yesterday. Throughout the testimony, Trump made a spectacle of himself, loudly groaning while wincing, gesticulating and shrugging his shoulders. 

At mid-morning, the Judge announced a 15-minute break. Everyone returned to the courtroom on-time except Trump, and the testimony resumed without him. Trump finally walked in, causing the proceedings to stop for a minute as he returned to his seat. 

Suarez continued to ask long-winded questions, repeating himself over and over causing the judge to repeatedly lose patience. At one point the exasperated judge exclaimed, "Jesus!" The judge then told him he was intentionally wasting time repeating the same questions over and over. 

Finally, the judge told him to stop repeating the same questions. Suarez ignored him and continued on, causing the judge to interrupt with, "I don't talk just to hear myself. I'm precluding you from doing this." That prompted another argument from Suarez. 

Suarez continued to disrespectfully condescend to the judge, prompting him to finally respond, "I have a thick skin, but it's really getting pierced here." The judge told Suarez he didn't need to continue with the theatrics and antics since there was no jury there to impress, which prompted more agitated histrionics from Trump. 

During the lunch break, Trump ranted and raved to press in the hallway how unfair everything is, before rushing off to the airport to board his plane to leave. He had told the judge when the trial started that he intended to attend this entire week, but it seems he has had enough. 

In fact, Trump used his appearance at this trial as an excuse to postpone his deposition in the Michael Cohen case on October 9. Now it doesn't appear that he intends to return until it is time for him to testify. Cohen's attorneys are now reportedly informing the judge in his case that Trump lied to the court simply as a ploy to get his deposition postponed.

So how does Suarez conduct himself now? There’s no question the judge can tell him to stop wasting the court’s time, and hold him in contempt if the court must. But with Trump in Florida and no cameras present, why bother?