19 thoughts on “Thursday Open Thread”

1. "A Federalist Society for Everything" via TPM

   Ever since the longtime Federalist Society leader helped create a conservative supermajority on the Supreme Court, and then received more than a billion dollars from a wealthy Chicago business owner to disburse to conservative causes, Leo’s next moves had been the subject of speculation.

   Now, Leo declared in a slick but private video to potential donors, he planned to “crush liberal dominance” across American life. The country was plagued by “woke-ism” in corporations and education, “one-sided journalism” and “entertainment that’s really corrupting our youth,” said Leo amid snippets of cheery music and shots of sunsets and American flags.

   Leo revealed his latest battle plan in the previously unreported video for the Teneo Network, a little-known group he called “a tremendously important resource for the future of our country.”

   Teneo is building what Leo called in the video “networks of conservatives that can roll back” liberal influence in Wall Street and Silicon Valley, among authors and academics, with pro athletes and Hollywood producers. A Federalist Society for everything.

   The records show Teneo’s members have included a host of prominent names from the conservative vanguard, including such elected officials as U.S. Sens. J.D. Vance of Ohio and Missouri’s Josh Hawley, a co-founder of the group. Other members have included Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York, now the fourth-ranking House Republican, as well as Nebraska’s attorney general and Virginia’s solicitor general. Three senior aides to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a potential 2024 presidential candidate, are members. Another is the federal judge who struck down a Biden administration mask mandate. The heads of the Republican Attorneys General Association, Republican State Leadership Committee and Turning Point USA — all key cogs in the world of national conservative politics — have been listed as Teneo members.

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   1. Here’s how “the Left” works in America, according to Baehr.

      “Imagine a group of four people sitting at the Harvard Club for lunch in midtown Manhattan,” he said in a 2020 Teneo video: “a billionaire hedge funder,” “a film producer,” “a Harvard professor” and “a New York Times writer.”

      “The billionaire says: ‘Wouldn’t it be cool if middle school kids had free access to sex-change therapy paid for by the federal government?’” Baehr continued. “Well, the filmmaker says, ‘I’d love to do a documentary on that; it will be a major motion film.’ The Harvard professor says, ‘We can do studies on that to say that’s absolutely biologically sound and safe.’ And the New York Times person says, ‘I’ll profile people who feel trapped in the wrong gender.’ ”

      After a single lunch, Baehr concluded, elite liberals can “put different kinds of capital together” and “go out into the world” and “basically wreck shop.”

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      1. The projection here is so rich… "Imagine if you will this hypothetical scenario of elites colluding to degrade our beloved culture… nothing like this actual meeting of conservative elites. No, not like that."

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2. Well, it ain’t nothing, but it seems like undermining confidence in elections by “false claims” might be a trifle more serious than oher forms of attorney misconduct.

   Colorado Newsline: Former Trump lawyer Jenna Ellis censured in Colorado for false election claims

   In an opinion accepting a censure agreement between [Colorado Attorney Regulation Counsel Jessica] Yates and [Jenna] Ellis, [Presiding Disciplinary Judge Bryon M.] Large noted that Ellis has agreed that her statements about the election being stolen were misrepresentations, which he said were made “with at least a reckless state of mind.” Ellis also agreed that she, “through her conduct, undermined the American public’s confidence in the presidential election, violating her duty of candor to the public,” Large wrote, adding that “a selfish motive” and “a pattern of misconduct” were aggravating factors in the case.

   Yates’ complaint cited 10 misrepresentations by Ellis.

   Doesn’t charge her for any of the investigation, require remedial education, or limit her ability to practice.

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   1. I saw her on social media this morning saying something along the lines of she 'would never lie.' How lying is different from "violating her duty of candor" is beyond me, even allowing for lawyer-speak.

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3. I'm philosophically OK with public financing of elections to some extent, but today's numbers from the Denver Mayor's race hit me differently. Total Fair Election Fund financing for this race – $2.3 million – with about $530K to Kelly Brough, $440K to Leslie Herod, and 8 total candidates above $100K. Just can't help wondering what that sort of money would have done for local food banks.

   https://coloradosun.com/2023/03/07/denver-mayor-race-campaign-cash/

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   1. You don’t think that the local job creators and deep pockets, who saved considerably on their candidate purchases this cycle, will use a good portion of those windfall savings to help with feeding people???

      Yeah, me neither.

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      1. Just knowing some of the money goes to produce unforgettable TV ads is enough altruism for me.

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   2. $2.3 million for an election cycle …  Metro Caring is one of the largest "food bank" (plus other activities).  Their 2022 Annual Report shows them spending about $12 million overall — and their income showing "Donated Food and Services" as $7,560,833. The last Meals on Wheels donation piece I saw said $35 provided a week of food for one person. 

      If you are wondering about overall benefit — I guess I'd look to other portions of the budget. Last September, Denverite added up elements of another part of CCD's payments:

      Lawsuits regarding Denver Police officers’ behavior have cost the City and County of Denver almost $3 million so far in 2022 — a significant rise in the last five years and the third-highest figure since 2010, according to data provided by the City Attorney’s office. This year also represents the largest quantity of payouts in a decade, thanks to a spate of lawsuits filed by people who claimed they were injured by police during the large George Floyd protests in 2020.

      The data only includes payouts that were over $5,000 and therefore required approval from City Council. The City Attorney’s office said it doesn’t keep detailed spreadsheets of settlements below that threshold.

      This does not include money Denver was required to pay from complaints that went to trial, like the $14 million a jury awarded to protesters last March.

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      1. I hear ya about the police lawsuits, JiD. And I don't really mean to compare every public expenditure to food banks, just using some bleeding heart artistic license. However…

         Let me talk about Fair Election Fund money another way. My impression of one aspect of public campaign financing is that it's supposed to help give candidates of lesser means a fighting chance. But Kelly Brough of the business community has received more than a half-million, while for comparison Terrance Roberts in 10th place is at $64K. I see Brough ads all the time on TV, certainly thanks to some of that money. Roberts – maybe yard signs and earned media?

         I get that FEF is basically a matching fund set-up, and not questioning that Brough qualified legitimately. Really just saying the amount of money spent in this race made me take notice, and made me look at who's getting the biggest benefits.

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4. Please help us elect Frisch in a 25% DEM district. 

   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wbj-tDEMXMY

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   1. The task sounds difficult by that measure.   However, among CO-3’s Active Voter Registrations, things don’t look quite so bleak. Sec of State from 1 March, 2023:

      ACN..APV..CTR..DEM.…..GRN…LBR…NOL……..REP……..UAF……..UNI…Active Total

      2,082..599….73….115,784…1,176..4,656…29……150,723..220,306…426….495,854

      0.4%…0.1%..0.0%…23.3% …0.2%…0.9%…0.0%…30.4%…44.4% …..0.1%.100.00%

      Dems 23.3%   Reps 30.4%  UNAFFILIATED 44.4%

      Key will be to motivate the Unaffiliated to get out and vote.  Statewide, about 40% of the Unaffiliated are 35 years old or younger — what proportion do you think are going to be delighted by Boebert’s stance on abortion?  How many will cheer as she votes to not let the government pay its debts, meaning a wave of unemployment and an increase in all sorts of interest rates? 

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      1. I wasn't planning to give any money to politicians this year. But since I got my first piece of "junk mail" from the Frisch campaign today, I'll send a check tomorrow to celebrate young Tyler Boebert getting a girl pregnant. Such family values…..not.

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5. And the winner in the First Prosecutor To File Charges Against Donald Trump looks like it might be… Alvin Bragg in NY State Court, over the hush money payout to Stormy Daniels. Trump has been invited to answer questions before the grand jury, a final step before indictments are handed out.

   https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/09/nyregion/trump-potential-criminal-charges-bragg.html

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6. Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) — who is just 36 years old — announced that her 17-year-old son will make her a grandmother in April, Newsweek reports

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   1. Lemee’ guess, the mother to be is an aspiring professional wrestler??  They met one evening in a bowling alley, and were seen later playing a game of show-and-tell?? He’s hoping to still someday complete his G.E.D.?? They have registered locally for baby shower gifts at the City Market cheese counter?? The couple has reportedly been shopping around for an American made pickup in which to deliver?? Donald “Rawdogger” Ttump has been asked to be the baby’s godfather??

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7. The 17-year-old knocked up his 15-year-old girlfriend. What could go wrong?

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8. I don’t have any where else to rant about this. 
    

   HCR says tonight:

   Reflecting the needs of Ukraine to fight off the 2022 Russian invasion, as well as tensions with China, Biden will call for a larger defense budget.
    

   why is she so incapable of criticizing Biden, under any circumstance? We LEFT AFGHANISTAN. Why is the defense budget INCREASING???

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   1. Last couple of years in Afghanistan weren't as much as previous years:  "Feb 10, 2020 — With a $14 billion dollar budget request for fiscal year 2021, the U.S. military is set to spend its lowest amount on the 18-year long war …"

      In the February 2022 to February 2023 year, "the Biden Administration has committed more than $31.7 billion in security assistance since the start of the 2022 war" 

      Add on money impacted by inflation:  a pay increase for troops and civilians, revisions of all the "cost plus" contracts, higher costs of fuel & food …

      Add a bit more money so we can show the flag every time China coughs …

      the updated truism — a billion here, 5 billion there … pretty soon you are talking REAL money.

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