Friday Open Thread

11 thoughts on “Friday Open Thread”

1. Heather Cox Richardson focused on Biden's work to reach into the rural economy:

   Biden noted that the U.S. has lost more than 400,000 family farms in the past 40 years, an area of more than 140 million acres of farmland, equivalent to an area the size of Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota combined. Family farms have failed, and as they did so, small businesses, hospitals, schools, and communities also suffered. 

   Young people feel they have no choice but to leave home “in search of good-paying jobs and a chance at the American Dream.” 

   Biden explained that his plan to invest in America would create new and better markets and new income streams to help rural areas thrive. He noted that $20 billion of the Inflation Reduction Act will go to helping farmers and ranchers adjust to climate change by changing cover crops and managing nutrients and grazing, while urging farmers to diversify from single crops and sell in local markets. 

   More there to appreciate.

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   1. ^^^THIS^^^

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2. Close allies of Donald J. Trump are preparing to populate a new administration with a more aggressive breed of right-wing lawyer, dispensing with traditional conservatives who they believe stymied his agenda in his first term.

   The allies have been drawing up lists of lawyers they view as ideologically and temperamentally suited to serve in a second Trump administration.

   Apparently, Stephen Miller and pals consider the Federalist Society a cowardly RINO organization.  They are looking for sedition-friendly stooges to do Trump's bidding, should he be returned to power.

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   1. "a more aggressive breed of right-wing lawyer"

      After what's happened and happening to Rudy Giuliani, John Eastman, Jenna Ellis, Sidney Powell, Kenneth Cheeseboro, etc., will there be many hard-boiled MAGA lawyers left with licenses come the second Trump Administration?

      Or will he grant "pardons" reinstating their licenses? (NB:  that was a joke. He cannot pardon a professional license disciplinary sanction.)

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      1. As the Colorado GOP aptly demonstrates, competence is not the requirement.  Willingness to prostrate oneself before Dear Leader is all. 

         Easily seduced by power is the common characteristic.

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      2. I expect there is a deep bench of attorneys willing to tailor their opinions in order to get power. 

         I'm wondering what Gessler appearing on behalf of Trump & the Colorado GOP will be worth if Trump actually has a chance to appoint people again (and has someone around with a memory or notes to remind him what to do).

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3. Still finishing some Halloween candy:

   

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4. Interesting thread on FB this week over a large land sale in the Burlington area.  Midwest Farms (pig farm) sold off their irrigated land at auction for just short of $30mm, with all but two parcels being bought by a single entity. The speculation was it was the Chinese; eventually it was revealed to be someone from Connecticut according to a local source.  

   Lots of lamenting about local farms not being able to outbid “the outsiders”.  Over the past four decades, we've lost over 400,000 farms in America, representing 140 million acres of farmland. That's an area roughly equal to the size of Minnesota, North and South Dakota combined.  President Biden spoke of this phenomenan recently.
    

   Perhaps our enemy isn’t the Chinese but hedge fund managers suckling on carried interest and big ol’ tax cuts (Trump got 83% of the Kit Carson County vote in 2020) giving them the pocket change to scoop up these hobby projects. 
    

   None of us can be as dumb as all of us. 

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5. So Marge, the Bride of Beetlejuice and Matt have some splaining' to do…

   Mike Johnson’s wife Kelly just responded after it was revealed her “Christian Counseling Services” compare gay people to bestiality and say sex out of wedlock “offends God.”

   She said she “felt burdened for so many people” & says “God” made Mike Johnson Speaker. “It’s Biblical.” pic.twitter.com/Ar00R7F50R

   — No Lie with Brian Tyler Cohen (@NoLieWithBTC) November 3, 2023

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   1. It's like she's channeling Janet Rowland circa 2006.

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6. Day 5 from CREW work in CO 

   "Today we wrapped up our weeklong trial where we are challenging Donald Trump’s qualification for the ballot in Colorado under the 14th Amendment.

   Over past week, we heard from two law enforcement officers who defended the Capitol on January 6th, two members of Congress, an attendee and organizers of the January 6th rally, an expert on Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, a staff member from the Colorado secretary of state’s office, an advisor to Trump, and an expert on right wing extremism.

   Today, to wrap up the trial, Trump’s legal team called a law professor with experience in historical analysis and we called the top investigator for the January 6th Committee.

   We expect to make closing arguments on November 15th and have a decision in the case by Thanksgiving. CREW’s president Noah Bookbinder is scheduled to be on MSNBC at 8:45 pm tonight if you would like to hear more about the trial and next steps for the case.

   Witnesses Called by Defendants

   • Robert Delahunty, a retired law professor and fellow at the Claremont Institute

   Witnesses Called by Plaintiffs

   • Timothy Heaphy, former U.S. Attorney and chief investigator for the January 6th Committee

   Key Moments

   “‘What really needs to be explicated is not the plain vanilla meaning of insurrection but the whole phrase – insurrection against the United States Constitution,’ Delahunty testified on Friday. The lawyers seeking to disqualify Trump in Colorado noted that even the former president’s own attorney in his impeachment trial for the Jan. 6 attack described it as an insurrection.” — AP 

   “[Delahunty] said he’s not aware of any case law or a direct definition of what it means to engage in an insurrection against the constitution. He said it’s a phrase that’s opaque. ‘There’s just inadequate guidance as far as I can tell from the relevant sources.’” — Colorado Public Radio

   “In his testimony on Wednesday, Magliocca cited multiple definitions of ‘engaging in insurrection’ that were detailed in legal opinions from the 1860s, including any ‘overt and voluntary act, done with the intent of aiding or furthering’ an insurrection, as well as an act ‘by speech or by writing (that) incited others to engage in rebellion.’ But Delahunty, while conceding that some of those opinions were ‘certainly good evidence’ for the plaintiffs’ interpretation, said his interpretation of the historical record differed from Magliocca’s. ‘I think “engage in insurrection” has a more restricted meaning than he supposes,’ Delahunty said.” — Colorado Newsline

   Livestream

   C-SPAN aired today’s portion of the trial in full, which you can watch here. "

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