Heading Into This Week of April 2024

Several things on my mind this Sunday:

The vote yesterday by the Republican-controlled House to renew financial and military aid to Ukraine was a stunning break by the Rational factions of the House GOP against the pro-Putin (and pro-trump) Irrational factions. It now becomes a question how long Speaker Johnson remains Speaker before Marjorie Trump Greene gets her revenge, and if the resulting chaos by a leaderless Republican caucus will grant the House Democrats to take the reins.

How quickly the military aid - what we're doing is "selling" them existing equipment and buying up replacement ammo and supplies to ourselves - gets to Ukraine depends on how many transport planes the US Air Force and Army have ready to go the second Biden signs the bill.

Putin's not happy. Ukrainians are. If we can replenish their ammo - and stock them with anti-drone and anti-missile defense systems - we can prevent or seriously hamper any summer offensive Russia has planned.

The vote also passed military aid for Israel, which is a more troubling matter because Netanyahu is NOT de-escalating hostilities with Iran and is NOT delaying the ongoing slaughter and starvation in Gaza. The problem in this matter is both a Hamas organization that wants to spill Israeli blood and a Netanyahu government that wants to spill Palestinian blood. This IS a situation where both sides are at fault and BY GOD both of them need removing so that the Israelis and Palestinians who DON'T want to kill each other can resolve this damn mess.

The passage of the aid bills is a blow to donald trump's direct control of House Republicans... for the moment. Right now, trump has full control of the party's national committee, and trump has finally sent the order out - knew this was coming - demanding all the lower-ballot candidates "donate" at least five percent of their own fund-raising into the RNC if they use trump - and many of them have to, as he's the banner carrier - as part of their campaigning.

It's the shakedown, kiddos. This is where the mob boss demands from all his street-level capos "fuck you, pay me." This is how trump's grift operates: Everything as much as possible goes upward to himself, never downward. Everyone else has to fight for breadcrumbs and his "magnanimity" whenever he feels like it. There is no guarantee that trump will use any of this tribute money towards supporting the GOP in full: It's more likely this money is going towards paying his expanding legal bills.

Speaking of, trump's criminal trial is moving faster than expected. The jury - 12 members, 6 alternates - are picked and sworn in, and the first witness is set to testify Monday. The prosecutors are holding back announcing who the witnesses will be until absolutely necessary, out of precaution that trump will threaten/intimidate them. The first one up is of key interest: David Pecker, owner of the media chain accused of aiding trump's efforts to squash - "catch and kill" - any stories about his affairs (especially the one with Stormy Daniels). Michael Cohen and Daniels are both expected to testify although no idea when.

But that's not all: trump and his lawyers are facing different matters all week long. Even as trump sits in on his criminal trial (required) that Monday morning, his civil court lawyers have to go before Judge Engoron to determine if that $175 million bond trump got was even legal. AG Letitia James argues the bond company does not fulfill requirements under state law, and that trump is lying about his worth (again).

Then on Tuesday at 9:30 am, Judge Merchan will hold a hearing to determine if trump's been violating - the prosecutors count at least seven separate instances on Friday, and trump's tweeted out more attacks over the weekend - the judge's gag order regarding the criminal trial. We are facing the possibility Judge Merchan will hold trump in contempt of violating the gag order, and it's a question of how severe - from fines, to changing trump's bail, to even physically holding trump in a jail cell - the ruling could go. trump and his allies will scream "free speech" and "witch hunt" no matter how harsh the penalty will be: But this is a criminal trial now, and trump has been crossing lines no other defendant has outside of Sicilian mob bosses.

On Thursday, the Supreme Court will hear the Absolute Immunity argument trump insists will protect him from his federal criminal trials, and one that would have serious ramifications on presidential abuse of power should the Justices agree with trump. This is the scary one: If five out of the six Republican Justices show favor towards trump's argument - even if they try to squeeze out a narrow finding that trump alone has absolute immunity (which would violate every form of legal logic on the planet) - we are facing the greatest threat to the Constitutional system since 1860.

And then Friday, trump will get his car towed because he parked it illegally in front of the courthouse. Well, it's possible this could happen...

So. Crazy week still ahead. Crazy month of April still ahead. Crazy summer still ahead.

Good thing I'm already crazy. It keeps me sane while this is all happening.