Happy New Year to all of our blog community from around the world. As has been our tradition on this blog, with the start of 2020, I thought I would share our annual “State of The Blog” statistics from the last year. It has been a great year for the blog with the highest traffic in the history of our blog. We continued our expansion internationally. While we post a separate blog when we pass each million mark (and we are close to another such update), we use New Year’s day to take stock — and to celebrate — our blog. This year was not just the best year in terms of traffic on the blog, it was over twice the traffic of prior years with over 10 million views and tens of thousands of regular readers following us on Twitter and email. It is an astonishing growth for a humble blog with no budget and no revenue. But we still have an abundance passion and apparently an increasing number of other people looking for a civil forum to discuss the legal, political, and social issues of our time. Continue reading “STATE OF THE BLOG (2020)”
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Happy New Year to everyone on our blog! We rang in 2021 at home in McLean, Virginia. New Year’s eve is also my wedding anniversary. Twenty-three years ago, Leslie and I eloped in Old Town Alexandria after dating eight years. Once again, we will celebrate two anniversary dates. I count the anniversary as our 31th while Leslie insists on counting this year as our 23nd anniversary. We will toast our anniversary and the New Year (as we did 23 years ago and every year since) with a bottle of Schramsburg Cremant. Continue reading “HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!”
Best wishes to everyone celebrating Christmas. Due to the pandemic, we did not drive to Chicago this year and instead have stayed in Virginia. We have all of the kids and of course Luna tucked away as the stockings and the tree await.
During the Democratic primary, I wrote about New York Mayor Bill de Blasio and his “eat the rich” pitch for votes. He pledged to “tax the hell out of the rich.” It did not work. Not only did de Blasio never got to one percent nationally. Worse yet, he polled at zero in his own New York city with a 58 percent unfavorable rating. Yet, De Blasio later continued his anti-capitalism agenda including using the pandemic to renew calls to curtail capitalism and demonstrating a shocking lack of knowledge of basic economics. Now de Blasio has declared the purpose of the New York public schools as redistribution of wealth and doubled down on that call after being criticized on Fox News.
My column in the Hill addresses how Democrats are increasingly adopting the rhetoric and tactics of Donald Trump. There is a sense of immunity — or Trumpunity — being exercised by former critics in using language once denounced in Trump. An example is Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H. The Senator went on CNN where Trump was regularly (and correctly) chastised for calling opponents “traitors” and “enemies of the people.” Now however Shaheen is declaring that any members of Congress who continue to question the victory of Joe Biden “are bordering on sedition and treason.”
Below is my column in the Hill on the early departure of Attorney General Bill Barr. The move will give Trump the record on Attorneys General. That is not good. A President cannot selected too many Supreme Court justices or too few Attorneys General. Reports indicate that, with Barr leaving, Trump is openly discussing appointing a special counsel for the Hunter Biden investigation. At this point, that appears entirely unnecessary and would further tarnish the image of Trump as someone who is interfering with the internal decisions of the Justice Department. What is clear is that Barr proved a critical fire wall for the Department at one of its most chaotic and challenging periods. As I have previously said, Barr remains more sinned against than sinner and history will vindicate his tenure at the Justice Department.
Here is the column: Continue reading “Bill Barr’s Family Time: How The Justice Department Has Lost One Of Its Staunchest Defenders”
This morning, we passed the 47,000,000 mark in views on the blog. We only just passed 46,000,000 but November had the greatest traffic for the blog in its history. The blog continues to grow with new regular commenters and a growing international readership. Again, we thank our loyal readers who return every day to discuss contemporary legal, political, and occasionally bizarre stories. We have used these moments to give thanks for our many regular readers around the world and give you an idea of the current profile of readers on the blog. We continue to rank with the top legal blogs in the world. As always, I want to offer special thanks for Darren Smith who has continued to help manage the blog and help out folks who encounter posting problems.
So here is our current profile:
We have already seen a good showing for Halloween this year at our house. We have set up a table to allow for more distance and caution. However, the kids are carrying on with the holiday undeterred! A testament to the power of raw courage and raw sugar.
Here are some pictures from our house. Continue reading “HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!”
I recently wrote about how the Barrett confirmation hearing is proof that Benjamin Franklin was right when he wrote that “it is hard for an empty sack to stand upright.” Now that analogy is becoming reality as Democrats plan to leave actual empty seats in today’s hearing to vote on the nomination. It is all an effort to convince Democrats voters that the senators are really angry over the nomination and fighting like the dickens to stop it. It is, of course, pure theater with no real impact on the nomination but voters seem to demand little more from politicians today than visceral distractions.Continue reading “The Barrett Boycott: Democrats Struggle To Get An Empty Sack To Stand Up”
We have been discussing how both parties in Washington have been spending wildly for years in pushing the country to unprecedented and crippling debt levels. We recently passed the “red line” of 106 percent of our GDP. The roughly $27 trillion debt has not however deterred members who continue to push proposals to tack on trillions. That was the case yesterday when Sen. Chuck Schumer and Elizabeth Warren are calling on President Trump to cancel $50,000 in federal student loan debt next year. Some 43 million Americans hold more than $1.6 trillion in federal student loan debt. Such proposals may have merit but my concern is over the lack of any plan on dealing with the debt as well as the fact that this massive increase would be done by executive order.
I had to share this story. Jimmy MacDonald is a former addict who has been sober for seven years. He found himself floating away without a paddle in an overturned kayak. He prayed to God for rescue and suddenly saw in disbelief a floating Tiki bar with Catholic priests coming to his aid. If that does not prove the existence of God, I cannot imagine what you are waiting for.
Republicans from Fox’s Brit Hume to GOP Rep. Adam Kinzinger(Ill.) have rushed to the defense Fox New reporter Jennifer Griffin, who was attacked by President Donald Trump for simply confirming aspects of the recent explosive story in The Atlantic. My column this weekend discussed the article alleging that Trump has spoken in disparaging terms of our veterans and war dead. Trump called for Griffin to be fired despite other news organizations also reporting that Trump has referred to veterans as “losers” and “suckers.” Trump seemed most upset by the fact that Griffin was saying that she “confirmed” the story when in fact she confirmed comments allegedly made about Vietnam veterans, not the specific alleged comment on war dead in France from World War I. That is a valid point, though likely lost on most citizens who correctly view such references to veterans of any war as vile and disgraceful. Moreover, it is outrageous for a president to call for a respected reporter to be fired for doing her job. Yet, what is most striking is how, again, Trump’s attacks only magnify the attention and damage of the story.
We have been discussing the notable reliance on federal as opposed to state charges to prosecute crimes during the recent protests. The shifting of these cases into the federal system is being done with the support of local police. The result can be enhanced sentencing as well as political cover. The latest example is Jacob D. Little, 24, who allegedly stole a high-powered rifle from a patrol car during a riot in Seattle.
In the criminal justice system, most of us have seen the use of “spit hoods” when a suspect or defendant spits at officers or others. During the pandemic, such behavior is viewed as particularly dangerous. However, for years, the hoods have been associated with breathing and medical issues. The death of Daniel Prude in Rochester is spotlighting this controversy after a shocking video of a group of officers laughing as Prude, who was running nude in the area, complained about his breathing. He died on March 30 after being taken off life support.
Continue reading “Rochester Case Raises New Questions About Police Abuse and “Spit Hoods””
Below is my column on the Steven Bannon case that ran in the Washington Times. Notably, one of the defendants indicted with Bannon is a Andrew Badolato, a person who has repeatedly assisted the government in prior cases. While Badolato has pleaded not guilty and has a long association with Bannon, his history could raise a serious threat for defense counsel that he might cut a deal with prosecutors. In a case of this kind, a cooperating witness confirming an intent to hide transactions would be devastating to the defense. A May 24, 2021 trial date has been set though U.S. District Judge Analisa Torres called that date “optimistic.” (Note: postings this week may be limited due to my duties in a criminal defense case).
Here is the column:
Continue reading “Steven Bannon Needs A Defense Not A Conspiracy Theory For His Federal Trial”