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Month: March 2023

Tiny D is missing his moment

Published by digby on March 25, 2023

The smart move would be to wait until 2028

Unfortunately, he’s already cast himself as the smart man’s Trump (an oxymoron) and I don’t know if he’d be able to shed it. His donors are already getting antsy:

A number of the Florida governor’s donors and allies are worried his recent stumbles suggest he may not be ready for a brutal fight against Donald Trump. Some feel DeSantis needs to accelerate his timeline to run for the GOP presidential nomination and begin directly confronting Trump if he’s to have any chance of thwarting the former president’s momentum. Others believe DeSantis should sidestep Trump altogether and wait until 2028 to run.

At a Sunday luncheon following the annual Red Cross ball in Palm Beach, Florida, a group of 16 prominent Republicans, described by one attendee as a mix of DeSantis backers and Trump “skeptics,” discussed misgivings about the governor’s standing for the future if he tussles with the former president.

“They liked him — many of them might even support him,” the person who was at the event said of DeSantis. “But they thought on balance that his long-term future was better without him trying to take Trump head on.”

“He will get scarred up” by Trump, the person added.

Then there’s conservative billionaire shipping goods magnate Richard Uihlein and his wife, Elizabeth, whose $500,000 in combined contributions ranked them among the most generous donors to DeSantis’ 2022 re-election campaign.

A person familiar with the strategy around Uihlein’s spending said that right now, “The brakes are pumped,” adding, “The polling really made different people pause.”

A spokesperson for the Uihleins declined to comment.

The fears of some of his own supporters, along with a growing sentiment among GOP operatives that Trump may be impossible to defeat — even with a possible indictment looming over him — present DeSantis with the conundrum of trying to demonstrate that he is a viable presidential candidate before he even launches his anticipated campaign.

NBC News spoke with more than 20 GOP strategists, politicians and donors about whether DeSantis can bounce back from adversity — some of it self-inflicted, some of it the result of constant pressure from Trump — or is destined to wilt under the white-hot lights of a campaign for the highest office in the land. 

For a governor who prides himself on taking bold stands, and winning on the electoral battlefield, DeSantis has not yet shown the strength that gave some Republicans reason to believe he could compete with Trump.

A spokesperson for DeSantis did not return a request for comment for this article.

Once surging, DeSantis remains well below Trump in polls measuring the prospective GOP primary field. He was slow to respond to the possible indictment of Trump — and then sideswiped the former president once he did. DeSantis was also forced this week to clean up his position on U.S. support for Ukraine after a backlash from establishment Republicans.

“It’s 100% possible that we’ve seen him peak already,” said one veteran Republican campaign operative who speaks to donors regularly. That person said he believes DeSantis can recover, but the governor’s reaction to the indictment question “was really telling about how far behind the eight-ball” he and his team are.

A GOP strategist who has spoken directly with donors in Palm Beach said that this is a week that should be good for DeSantis, considering his chief rival for the nomination could be indicted any day now. And the fact that it’s been so tough for the governor has given some donors pause.

“DeSantis is doing a book tour. He’s barnstorming the country, and his polls are going down,” the strategist said. “Meanwhile, Trump’s potentially under indictment, and Trump’s going up. It’s just not a good look for DeSantis.”

This person added that donors who have given to DeSantis over the past year or two are still open to supporting him for president, but they’re also starting to take a look at other potential candidates like Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., as DeSantis has “fumbled” big moments.

The polling dip and subsequent angst radiating from some allies are the first measurable dents to the enthusiasm for DeSantis as a viable alternative to Trump. They follow weeks of attacks by the former president, from fanning unfounded rumors about the governor’s personal life to criticizing his past votes in Congress. DeSantis’ responses have been largely restrained, mild criticisms often delivered with his disclaimer that he doesn’t want to attack fellow Republicans.

[…]

Dan Eberhart, a GOP donor who is supporting the governor, told NBC News this week he doesn’t think DeSantis can afford to continue tiptoeing around Trump. 

“DeSantis shouldn’t ignore him for too much longer,” he said.

Of course, there are donors who are excited by DeSantis’ early performance and the prospects of him winning the presidency.

Gregory Cook, founder of the multilevel essential oils marketing company doTerra, said in an email that DeSantis’ pre-campaign phase has been “very encouraging!” and that the Florida governor “exhibits the leadership we need at this time.”

He said he sees no need for adjustment from DeSantis.

“Although he has not announced a presidential run, if he were to do so, Governor DeSantis is the clear front-runner in my opinion,” Cook said.

DeSantis allies have said he doesn’t plan to make an announcement about a possible candidacy at least until June, after Florida’s legislative session is over. Sitting in a clear second place to Trump in most national surveys, DeSantis may see waiting as a way to help freeze the field of other candidates waiting to make their own decisions.

“The pending candidacy of Ron DeSantis is absolutely keeping people out,” said one Republican strategist who, like others, requested anonymity to speak candidly about presidential contenders. If DeSantis gets in and shows himself to be a strong candidate, “that probably holds.”

“And if he’s not successful — and that’s an arbitrary assessment to some degree; what’s successful? — then you could see others continue to look at it or eventually get in the race,” this person added.

[…]

“There’s this online eagerness to say DeSantis is falling apart, and I just don’t think that’s where Republican voters are,” one adviser to such a candidate said. 

But, they added, there was one “big takeaway” from DeSantis’ past week.

“We were always convinced that DeSantis was going to be very disciplined. Disciplined, disciplined, disciplined,” this person said. “And he kind of proved this week that he’s not. This was a guy who would not talk about Trump, and here he is taking shots nearly a year before Republicans start actually voting.”

[…]

Trump has led DeSantis in nearly every reputable national poll since the start of Joe Biden’s presidency in 2021, but a flurry of large spreads earlier this month forced GOP insiders to start asking whether anyone could deny Trump a third consecutive nomination. 

“There’s always going to be nervousness, especially with the poll numbers looking the way they are,” said one longtime Republican operative who noted that he hasn’t seen donors fleeing from DeSantis. “I think he’s done a good job of holding them at bay.”

David Kochel, an Iowa-based Republican operative who served as the chief strategist in former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush’s ill-fated 2016 presidential campaign, cautioned it’s too early to call a winner based on national polling so far out from the first state nominating contests. He named several momentary GOP front-runners from past cycles to underscore his argument.

“The only polls that will ever matter are the state by state polls, and even then only as we get much closer to the actual contests,” he said. “Presidents Scott Walker, Ben Carson and Newt Gingrich might have additional thoughts about early national polls.”

Meanwhile, even Trump allies expected more from DeSantis. One Republican operative supportive of Trump said DeSantis missed an opportunity to flex power over Trump after the former president said over the weekend that he expected to be indicted on charges in New York in the coming days.

“What DeSantis should have done is immediately respond and say, ‘Under no circumstances will the free state of Florida allow this political prosecution to take place,’” said the operative, noting the logistics of getting Trump, a Florida resident, to New York for an arraignment. “What that would have done is present DeSantis as the alpha and Trump as the beta. He could have set himself up to look like the protector of Trump, which would have driven Trump crazy.”

Or he would have looked like Trump’s Florida Major Domo doing his bidding and taking heat for his boss’s sleazy hush money scheme. Either way, Trump looks like he dominates. Because he does. That’s been the story from the moment he went down the escalator.

Ron should have a chat with his fellow Floridians Jeb! and Lil’ Marco. I think they’d tell him to wait it out. Until Trump is gone, he owns the GOP. Republican voters just love him.

In the age of Marjorie Taylor Green, is Trump really unconventional anymore?

Published by digby on March 25, 2023

Undisciplined yes, unconventional? Not anymore:

Just a week ago, former President Trump’s team was touting his more disciplined approach to campaigning. But now there’s a more familiar Trump: an angry, scorched-earth force on social media, trying to rally his base by casting himself as a victim.

Trump’s tirades on Truth Social over his potential indictment in New York were filled with the type of incendiary rhetoric that preceded the Jan. 6 insurrection — and symbolized the colliding forces inside his campaign.

Those forces pit a fiery candidate who’s a social media bulldozer when he feels wronged, vs. the more measured, policy focused ex-president his staff has been hoping to show voters.

“The Trump campaign team knows the former president’s candidacy has to be more than a stream of consciousness and listing of grievances,” said Ken Spain, an adviser to George W. Bush’s 2004 presidential campaign.

“But no matter how hard they try to build a structure around him, Trump will be Trump.”

Trump called Alvin Bragg — the Manhattan district attorney weighing charges against Trump over alleged hush money paid to a porn star — an “animal” who “doesn’t care about right or wrong.”

He also called for protests and warned of violence in a way that many people saw as encouraging it: “Our country is being destroyed, as they tell us to be peaceful!”

Bragg on Friday was threatened with assassination in a letter containing non-hazardous white powder, CNBC reported.

 Trump’s social media posts this week reflect a Trump Truth: When he feels cornered, he attacks — and judging by the reactions (and donations) of his most loyal MAGA followers this week, his campaign could see a bounce in GOP polls.

Trump has vowed to stay in the 2024 race for the White House even if he becomes the first presidential candidate from a major party to run while facing a criminal trial. The New York case is the least serious of the investigations he faces:

An Atlanta prosecutor is nearing a charging decision in her probe of Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election in Georgia.

Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith has been chipping away on federal investigations of Trump’s role in Jan. 6 and his handling of classified information.

Zoom in: Amid the turmoil, senior Trump aides have told Axios that they want him talking more about policies in this campaign — and they want his discussion of them to not be “fly by the seat of your pants” style.

At the same time, his advisers concede that they’re not looking to manage their “principal.” Trump typically has been hands-on in crafting his posts on social media, and now in editing scripts for the campaign’s policy videos.

Aides say they remain focused on building a campaign structure around who Trump is — “his tour de force personality,” his victory in 2016, and his supporters.

What they’re saying: “President Trump sets the tone for the entire campaign, and it’s our mission to amplify his message,” campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung told Axios on Friday. “There is nobody more engaged or focused to beat President Biden.”

“There’s a tension between [Trump’s] unconventional instincts — which have mostly been successful — and the assumption that a more conventional Trump campaign will be more successful,” said Justin Sayfie, a former spokesman for Jeb Bush, an ex-Florida governor.

“His political brand is being unconventional,” Sayfie added. “That’s part of why people vote for him.”

True. But he’s just standard issue GOP. Liz Cheney is unconventional, not Trump.

What is this cult you speak of?

Published by digby on March 25, 2023

An early look at Trump’s speech:

French protests won’t give the GOP pause

Published by Tom Sullivan on March 25, 2023

Macron’s defense won’t help either

Now you see it. Now you don’t.

The massive street protests in France after President Emmanuel Macron raised the retirement age from 62 to 64 should give pause to Republicans considering raising the retirement age to 70 here. But it won’t.

“The French are fiercely protective of their universal health care and generous pensions,” NPR’s Lisa Bryant told Morning Edition. “And it’s a choice society has made: Work hard, pay high taxes, but also retire at a relatively young age with a high standard of living.”

If only, right?

Meantime, Macron is trying to defend his decision. With this amusing hiccup:

Macron argues the retirement age must be raised to prevent the pension budget from running a deficit.

BBC News:

The exact cost of the watch was debated online, with some of Mr Macron’s critics suggesting it was worth €80,000.

But the Élysée Palace told French media the president was wearing a Bell & Ross BR V1-92 model, which is personalised with a coat of arms.

Prices online for this watch, without the personalisation, are between €1,660 and €3,300 (£1,460 and £2,900).

“He has been wearing it very regularly for more than a year and a half,” the palace added in a statement.

Mr Macron has long been criticised by his political rivals for supporting the wealthy.

Meanwhile, the rest of us are told we must support the Economy both earlier and later in life.

Die then. It don’t bother us none.

Published by Tom Sullivan on March 25, 2023

Why is her right to life not protected?

Because lefties like to debate … and like to be right … and sometimes enjoy browbeating opponents into submission with their superior command of the facts, we sometimes waste time doing that instead of learning something from dialogue. We debate the question presented instead of addressing an oblique one that is more illuminating.

Recent reading on Christian nationalism debunks the “Christian nation” myth and provides a surfeit of ammunition for winning any number of debates on the matter. From the Ten Commandments to where constitutional principles conflict with biblical ones, “The Founding Myth” by Andrew L. Seidel provides a stockpile.

But rather than debating the ins and outs of “Was the United States founded on Christian principles?” a more penetrating question to ask advocates of that proposition is “Why is that so important to you?” Or, “What’s in it for you?”

It’s like asking a guy in a red, “Make America Great Again” hat, “When was it great before?” Or, “What does great again look like to you?”

Never question people’s motives is one of those bits of debate advice tossed off as received wisdom. But mostly it’s meant to avoid personalizing the argument and raising opponents’ defenses (and ire). I say, make people question their own.

In Oklahoma, for example.

Slate senior writer Christina Cauterucci addresses a dissenting opinion in a 5-4 Oklahoma Supreme Court ruling this week. The majority found that the state’s abortion ban “must include an exception for cases in which there is ‘a reasonable degree of medical certainty or probability’ that a pregnancy would endanger a patient’s life, whether due to a current medical condition or to one that would likely arise later in the pregnancy.” The prior standard was that the woman’s life must be “in actual and present danger.”

It was the dissenting opinion from four Republican judges that Cauterucci finds chilling. Whether or not the state could require a woman to risk her life for a nonviable fetus (or a dead one?) was none of their business, nor is protecting her right to life (emphasis mine):

“The Oklahoma Constitution, as currently worded, does no expressed or hiddent [sic] establish a fundamental abortion right under any circumstance. Any change to that status quo must come from the people or their elected representatives,” writes Chief Justice M. John Kane IV in his dissent.

On the surface, such a proclamation seems sensible and straightforward. But in the context of an abortion ban exception to preserve a patient’s life, Kane’s argument takes on a new tenor. If a patient does not have the right to abortion under any circumstance, unless the privilege is granted to her by the people and their legislators, the people and their legislators could legally force her to die.

If Kane had his way, that possibility would remain on the table. “The unborn have no voice, say, or consideration in the opinion of the majority,” he writes, urging Oklahoma to commence “the thorny medical, philosophical, and practical debate of balancing the developing life of the unborn against the life of the mother.” But, he cautioned, there is no right to any abortion—even a lifesaving one—“to consider as part of that dialogue.”

The birthing vessel’s fate is up for a majority vote in states where the majority is predictably conservative. Except in Kansas, of course.

Justice Dana Kuehn concurs in her dissent that a woman’s right to life is a legislative matter: “The Legislature and people of Oklahoma have had over a century to preserve this exception as a Constitutional right. They have not done so.”

Cauterucci summarizes caustically, “If Oklahomans want to sentence pregnant women to death, let them go ahead and do it.” She argues that the state’s constitution protects women’s rights under a provision reading, “All persons have the inherent right to life.”

But the dissenting justices wring their hands over that provision. Justice Richard Darby chastises the majority for failing to discuss “any rights as they may apply to the unborn child” or “any interest of the state.” (Emphasis his.) “To be clear,” he writes, “the State’s interest is in protecting the life of the unborn child.” In Darby’s society, the state has no position on the life or death of the woman.

Getting back to biblical principles, the patriarchal nature of biblical society is a God-ordained given. Unchanging and unchangeable. Set in stone, literally, Seidel points out. The U.S. Constitution for all its flaws allows for modification and for evolving morals. If there is any biblical principle found in the founding, it is slavery. If Christian nationalists care to wear that proudly today, let them try (and some might). Women were little better than property in biblical times and got short shrift from the framers. But the Constitution has evolved as society has. In fits and starts, yes, but nevertheless.

There is great overlap between Americans who advocate for “great again” and Christian evangelicals and Republicans. The job of justices is to rule on matters of law and to defend basic rights from legislative harm. Rather than debate the legal merits of the minority opinion, one might ask dissenters why the state they envision has “interest is in protecting the life of the unborn child” but not the woman carrying a threatened pregnancy. What vision of America and the principles on which it was founded informs that opinion? Also, “Why is that so important to you?”

Make them question their motives.

Friday Night Soother

Published by digby on March 24, 2023

The top-rated tourist attraction in Szczecin, Poland, is one of the city’s feline residents.

The tuxedo cat, named Gacek, which translates to “long-eared bat” in Polish, is listed as a historical landmark in Szczecin, Poland, on Google Maps. The feline has a five-star rating on Google Maps and over 80 reviews — an impressive feat for a landmark in Poland’s seventh-largest city.

Gacek is a free-roaming cat that lives in a box on Kaszubska Street, per The Independent. The feline has resided in the area for a few years. According to the news outlet, the cat initially drew worldwide attention after appearing in a documentary by wSzczecinie in 2020.

Following the documentary, cat enthusiasts flocked to the city to see Gacek. The cat’s original Google Maps listing reportedly amassed more than 2,500 reviews before it was taken down, according to The Independent. Gacek’s old and current review rankings beat out other Szczecin tourist attractions like the Archcathedral Basilica of St. James the Apostle, which has a rating of 4.6, and the Pomeranian Dukes’ Castle, which has a rating of 4.5.

After Gacek’s first listing was taken down, another one went up, bringing in 500 reviews with an average rating of five stars, according to Business Insider. It appears that the second listing was also taken down. Gacek, the landmark, is now on its third Google Maps listing.

One Google Maps reviewer wrote that seeing Gacek was “the best experience of my life.” Another person said, “He’s perfect, 100/10 would see him again.”

In a previous listing, one reviewer from Oslo, Norway, said they had flown in to see the cat, per The Independent. Their review said, “As expected, he didn’t pay any attention to me, which made the experience fully wholesome. If I could have a dinner with anyone in the world, I would fly again in an instant to feed him.”

However, one local animal shelter has asked people not to feed the increasingly plump cat. According to the outlet, a sign outside Gacek’s box asks visitors only to leave packaged treats that the cat’s guardians can give him. (Workers at a local shop near where Gacek’s box is located look after the pet, per Business Insider.)

Lol. Celebrities are just like you and me.

Conspiracy a-go-go

Published by digby on March 24, 2023

It was reported today Sen. John Fetterman is doing well and is expected to be released in the next couple of weeks. The reaction from the wingnuts is just precious:

I love how these goobers go on about how dumb the other side is.

The Ron DeSantis amateur hour

Published by digby on March 24, 2023

He’s supposed to be the pro

He’s been cast in the wrong movie:

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ book tour has hit a few road bumps.

In the first staffing shakeup for what’s widely seen as a pre-presidential campaign, the DeSantis road show lost a critical wheel this week when the operation’s top event coordinator pulled out of its contract, sources familiar with the move told The Daily Beast.

It’s the latest in a series of setbacks for DeSantis, as his platoon of supporters and outside financial backers pushes out a “soft-launch” campaign in the shadow of the party’s frontrunner, former President Donald Trump. But Republican observers say that from what they’ve seen, the operation appears to be “out over its skis.”

“This is amateur hour,” a seasoned GOP presidential campaign strategist told The Daily Beast.

On Wednesday, the spanking-new DeSantis-aligned “dark money” group “And to the Republic” (ATTR), which has been supporting the multi-state promotional junket, parted ways with advance firm Liberty Event Specialists, according to two people with knowledge of the arrangement.

The sources told The Daily Beast that Liberty, not ATTR, abandoned the deal.

The events firm, helmed by Republican operative John Hiller—a one-time Trump ally and former advance consultant for both of his campaigns—severed the contract in part out of concerns that the 501(c)(4) nonprofit would scapegoat them for tactical flubs on the tour, the sources said.

According to one of the sources, Liberty “canceled the contract before the DeSantis orbit could try to spin a narrative that was incorrect,” which the second person confirmed.

Hiller did not return multiple requests for comment. DeSantis spokesperson Lindsey Curnutte didn’t comment on the matter, and ATTR representative Tori Sachs didn’t return a request for comment.

The tour hit its first bump in Iowa earlier this month, when DeSantis left the critical early-voting state’s Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds hanging for more than 30 minutes, speaking from a podium while she waited for their one-on-one discussion next to an empty wingback chair.

But it was another podium-centric blip at the Iowa stop that became a flashpoint. The podium had been removed at some point before DeSantis spoke, leaving him wondering where it had gone—with Reynolds demanding of someone backstage, “We want the podium back.” The moment, caught on video, was more fuel for the long-running online battle between MAGAworld and DeSantis stans, with the former president himself highlighting the mishap as a sign of the Florida governor’s dependence on stage props.

Liberty feared being cast as the fall guy for these snags, the sources said, when in reality the disorganization was chiefly on the DeSantis side.

“There’s a lot of cooks in the kitchen,” one of the people with knowledge of the situation told The Daily Beast about the operational mismanagement, citing behind-the-scenes “finger-pointing” at comparatively minor administrative missteps.

“Word is they quietly rescheduled some stuff…but it definitely feels like he’s peeled some back,” a Florida Republican consultant who has advised DeSantis told The Daily Beast, referencing the book tour. “I think the soft launch is having an effect. I think it’s gone poorly, I hear nothing but they are unhappy.”

However, the book tour—which has also attracted rambunctious Trump demonstrators—is still rolling on, road bumps and all. The team held an event in Tallahassee on Thursday afternoon, and the governor has another out-of-state stop in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, slated for early April.

The tour has also figured in recent allegations of ethical violations from, of all places, Trumpworld.

Last week, the Trump-aligned super PAC “Make America Great Again, Inc.” filed a complaint with the Florida Commission on Ethics, accusing the DeSantis “shadow campaign” of violating state ethics and election rules, NBC News first reported. The complaint cites what it claims are improper relationships between DeSantis and his larger support network, including ATTR—the DeSantis-aligned dark money group supporting the book tour—and recruitment super PACs already stuffed with donor cash. (Trump’s own “shadow candidacy” also drew a complaint for alleged unlawful coordination last year.)

To that point, DeSantis is still waiting on the state legislature to repeal a Florida “resign-to-run” law, which requires any state or local lawmaker running for a federal office to submit a letter of resignation if the two terms would overlap.

Officially or not, the DeSantis show trundles along, as the governor tries to shore himself up as the most appealing, reasonable alternative to a third Trump campaign. But cracks have begun to appear in his armor.

The seasoned Republican presidential campaign strategist took a shot at DeSantis’ flip remarks about Trump’s pending indictment in the Stormy Daniels hush money case. The governor, the strategist said, was in danger of alienating the crucial MAGA vote, comparing the moment to Howard Dean’s bizarre scream at a rally that made his failed 2004 campaign for the Democratic nomination a punchline.

“If you’re running for president…you’re selling to the largest stakeholder audience anyone could have,” the longtime presidential campaign strategist said. “Why would he go out there, like he did the other day, and offend voters that you need?”

Now there are earnest discussions of whether DeSantis has jumped the shark as a potential GOP nominee.

“I think that they blew it,” the presidential campaign veteran said. “People need to remember, when you peak too soon, that’s a problem. And DeSantis peaked too soon.”

Some neutral GOP operatives who spoke with The Daily Beast said they worry his team is overcompensating for a lack of charisma with hyper-choreographed optics that have only hurt him.

“Compared to the other people who are coming to the state, they’re happy with what we offer,” a GOP operative involved in an upcoming DeSantis event in New Hampshire told The Daily Beast, describing the DeSantis advance team as “a little compulsive” in their perfectionist approach.

Some of And to the Republic’s requests on the tour have also rankled Granite State Republicans, particularly the ask for metal detectors at the governor’s upcoming April 14 book tour stop in Manchester, according to multiple GOP operatives. In the “Live Free or Die” state with minimal gun laws, such a request is “very unusual,” according to the New Hampshire Republican involved in the planning—especially for a candidate who hasn’t officially entered the race.

There’s also uncertainty over whether DeSantis will take questions from attendees, who would be paying “rather steep” admission fees—$150 per person in the main hall, and $600 for the VIP room—according to the New Hampshire Republican.

The podium scandal, of course, was no real scandal. And a Daily Beast report which included an anecdote about the governor once eating pudding with three fingers, while perhaps personally embarrassing, pales alongside the scrolls of scathing reports about his rival Trump’s conduct. However, these glitches still appear to have rattled DeSantis and his support team.

That fact, the veteran GOP campaign strategist told The Daily Beast, suggests that DeSantis aspires to perfection on a granular level and still faces a political learning curve.

“He’s a hardass prosecutor at heart,” the strategist observed, referencing DeSantis’ background with the U.S. Navy’s Judge Advocate General Corps and Justice Department.

“He’s a linear thinker, and it’s very hard to transition into what he needs to be for the national stage—engaging voters one on one, doing rallies,” the strategist said. “He’s trying out for the wrong play. He’s not meant to be cast in this movie. Maybe eventually, but he needs some time.”

This primary is going to be lit.

Stunts for dummies

Published by digby on March 24, 2023

Marge goes to jail

Some background on the DC jail visit by House oversight members today.

There are two wings of the DC jail: The Central Detention Facility (where most DC inmates are housed) and Central Treatment Facility (where Jan. 6 defendants, pretrial and post-conviction, are housed).

In fall 2021, amid rising complaints by Jan. 6 defendants about the conditions of CTF — and a federal judge’s contempt order — US marshals did a surprise inspection

They found that conditions at *CDF* were abysmal and ordered removal of 100s of prisoners.

https://www.politico.com/news/2021/11/02/feds-transfer-prisoners-dc-jail-518604

But the marshals found conditions in *CTF* where Jan. 6 defendants were housed to be “largely appropriate.”

Judges and advocates for Jan. 6 defendants have remained skeptical — and for good reason. There’s no question the DC jail had major issues and the same management running the main jail also runs CTF.

Flash forward to this month, US District Court Judge McFadden indicated in a hearing that conditions of the main jail have improved markedly since the Nov. 2021 report, and marshals had been moving inmates back in.

Read @JordanOnRecord on this

https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/national/capitol-riots/judge-no-violation-of-jan-6-defendants-rights-at-dc-jail-christopher-quaglin-capitol-riot-lower-west-terrace-tunnel/65-29805bfe-9465-4868-840f-986ed5f32f56

In fact, McFadden said due to Jan. 6 defendants’ complaints (and fueled somewhat by Covid-era restrictions) the jail made unprecedented accommodations to help prisoners access evidence in their cases.

https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/national/capitol-riots/judge-no-violation-of-jan-6-defendants-rights-at-dc-jail-christopher-quaglin-capitol-riot-lower-west-terrace-tunnel/65-29805bfe-9465-4868-840f-986ed5f32f56

There are still disagreements about whether access to evidence is sufficient, and different judges remain concerned about that.

But there’s no indication that Jan. 6 defendants have been treated differently or worse than main jail population.

And DC officials have groused that their longstanding complaints about the jail went largely ignored until Jan. 6 defendants started speaking up. In a weird way, it has led to scrutiny that has benefited the main jail population.

https://www.politico.com/news/2021/11/10/dc-officials-jan-6-prisoners-jail-520707

And a reminder: Of the ~20 Jan. 6 defendants who remain in the DC jail, nearly all are charged with crimes of violence, and several have been convicted at trial and no longer enjoy presumption of innocence.

Profiles of the January 6th Inmates in the D.C. Jail

There used to be a larger cohort of pretrial Jan. 6 defendants here before trials began to happen in large numbers. Many of them have been convicted and transferred to jails near their homes. A few others are in nearby Alexandria and Northern Neck facilities.

This is also key, in statement from Rep. RASKIN ahead of the visit: None of the Republican members of Congress claiming there are “political prisoners”
in the DC jail have named or identified a single one — because doing so would subject the claim to scrutiny.

Originally tweeted by Kyle Cheney (@kyledcheney) on March 24, 2023.

Lol. They did a good deed without meaning to. Improving the conditions for regular old criminals was hardly on their to-do list.