Mostly Monday Reads: Money Makes the Pol go ’round

Good Day, Sky Dancers!

I must admit that the headlines aren’t getting any less depressing about what was once our healthy democracy. Will we default on our debt because a few stupid Republicans in backwater, gerrymandered districts followed Trumpmania to blow up the system and fellate Trump’s ego? Will Trump get back in and try to jail and shoot his political enemies? This is from Brian Klauss at The Atlantic.

Eventually, all luck runs out. Political violence is notoriously difficult to forecast with precision, but would anyone really be surprised if Trump’s violent rhetoric led to real-world attacks in the run-up to the 2024 election—or in its aftermath, if he loses?

For all of these reasons, Trump’s recent unhinged rant about Milley should be a wake-up call. But in today’s political climate, the incident barely registers. Trump scandals have become predictably banal. And American journalists have become golden retrievers watching a tennis-ball launcher. Every time they start to chase one ball, a fresh one immediately explodes into view, prompting a new chase.

Eventually, chasing tennis balls gets old. We become more alive to virtually any distraction: The media fixate on John Fetterman’s hoodie instead of on stories about the relentless but predictable risk of Trump-inspired political violence.

Bombarded by a constant stream of deranged authoritarian extremism from a man who might soon return to the presidency, we’ve lost all sense of scale and perspective. But neither the American press nor the public can afford to be lulled. The man who, as president, incited a violent attack on the U.S. Capitol in order to overturn an election is again openly fomenting political violence while explicitly endorsing authoritarian strategies should he return to power. That is the story of the 2024 election. Everything else is just window dressing.

Well, maybe not everything else. Three days ago, we learned from ProPublica that Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas “secretly participated in Koch Network Donor Events.”

During the summit, the justice went to a private dinner for the network’s donors. Thomas has attended Koch donor events at least twice over the years, according to interviews with three former network employees and one major donor. The justice was brought in to speak, staffers said, in the hopes that such access would encourage donors to continue giving.

That puts Thomas in the extraordinary position of having served as a fundraising draw for a network that has brought cases before the Supreme Court, including one of the most closely watched of the upcoming term.

Thomas never reported the 2018 flight to Palm Springs on his annual financial disclosure form, an apparent violation of federal law requiring justices to report most gifts. A Koch network spokesperson said the network did not pay for the private jet. Since Thomas didn’t disclose it, it’s not clear who did pay.

BB texted this article to me this morning about the leading Republican pol in the governor’s race. I seriously don’t want to live in a state run by this guy. This is from Politico. “GOP donor wants his money back after candidate hires Corey Lewandowski. An alleged unwanted advance causes ripples in Louisiana’s gubernatorial primary two years later.”

John Odom, a major Republican donor, has been a top backer of Louisiana gubernatorial candidate Jeff Landry. He’s dined with Landry, talked with him on the phone and attended one of his annual “Alligator Hunt” fundraisers. In all, he’s given $100,000 to his political operation.

But now Landry, the state’s attorney general and frontrunner in the race, has done something that, for Odom, is unforgivable.

He hired former Donald Trump 2016 campaign manager Corey Lewandowski as a political adviser.

And now, in response, Odom is demanding that Landry give him his money back and is “urg[ing] the voters of Louisiana to reject Landry at the polls.”

Odom, a construction company executive who made over $100,000 in federal donations to Republican-aligned candidates and groups in the 2022 midterm election, has deeply personal reasons for his dislike of Lewandowski. In 2021, Odom’s then-wife, Trashelle Odom, alleged that Lewandowski made unwanted sexual advances toward her at a Las Vegas charity dinner in September 2021.

Lewandowski was later charged with misdemeanor battery, and in September 2022 he cut a plea deal with Nevada prosecutors. Under the deal, the political strategist agreed to pay a $1,000 fine, undergo impulse control training, serve 50 hours of community service and stay out of trouble for a year. In exchange, Lewandowski would not have to admit guilt.

Along the way, Lewandowski remained active in Republican politics, advising several candidates during the 2022 midterms. Landry’s campaign has paid Lewandowski $100,000 ahead of the Oct. 14 primary, according to state finance records. The payments were first reported this past week by the Louisiana Illuminator.

Many folks are asking for their money back these days. This is from CBS News. “Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman calls on New Jersey Sen. Robert Menendez to resign amid bribery charges.” He’s also handing back all donations the Senator made to his campaign.

Earlier this week, Democratic Sen. Robert Menendez of New Jersey along with his wife were indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of bribery.

The indictment comes after a yearslong investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice looking into public corruption.

The 69-year-old senator and his wife, Nadine Menendez, are facing one count of conspiracy to commit bribery, conspiracy to commit honest services fraud, and conspiracy to commit extortion under color of official right.

Also named in the indictment are three New Jersey businessmen, Wael Hana, Jose Uribe, and Fred Daibes.

Despite the charges, Sen. Menedez has indicated he does not plan to resign.

“I intend to continue to fight for the people of New Jersey with the same success I’ve had for the past five decades,” he said.

This is the second time in 10 years he has been facing corruption charges as in 2015 he was indicted on similar charges but the case ultimately ended in a mistrial.

Several elected officials in both New Jersey and Washington have called on Sen. Menendez to step down, and that includes one of Pennsylvania’s Democratic Senators, John Fetterman.

Sen. Fetterman released a statement on Saturday afternoon, calling for Sen. Menendez’s resignation.

“Senator Menendez should resign,” Fetterman’s statement read. “He’s entitled to the presumption of innocence under our system, but he is not entitled to continue to wield influence over national policy, especially given the serious and specific nature of the allegations. I hope he chooses an honorable exit and focuses on his trial.”

Menendez has called the accusations baseless but due to the Senate Democratic Caucus rules, he has agreed to step down as the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Of course, even Orangeholio is presumed innocent. So is the Senator. However, this is not Menedez’s first rodeo. But really, Trump is criminally insane by comparison. He shouldn’t be on the streets, let alone on the news. This is from Rachel Skully, writing at The Hill. “Trump pledges to investigate MSNBC parent company for ‘threatening treason.’ ”

Former President Trump pledged to investigate Comcast, the parent company for NBC and MSNBC, if he is elected in 2024, saying it “will be thoroughly scrutinized for their knowingly dishonest and corrupt coverage of people, things, and events.”

“They are almost all dishonest and corrupt, but Comcast, with its one-side and vicious coverage by NBC NEWS, and in particular MSNBC, often and correctly referred to as MSDNC (Democrat National Committee!), should be investigated for its ‘Country Threatening Treason,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post Sunday.

“I say up front, openly, and proudly, that when I WIN the Presidency of the United States, they and others of the LameStream Media will be thoroughly scrutinized for their knowingly dishonest and corrupt coverage of people, things, and events,” the former President wrote.

Trump also rehashed a phrase he has often used for news media in the past, calling it the “enemy of the people.”

“The Fake News Media should pay a big price for what they have done to our once great Country!” Trump added.

So much for the First Amendment.

Anyway, this is crazy, this is crazy, this is crazy.

Here’s a little something weird and unusual to think about. Warren Zevon, citing a poem, improvising beat poetry jazz, was one of many artists on an album called Kerouac. It’s also politically timely. It’s the Running Through – Chinese Poetry Song. More respect for the cats! More Wine! More Poetry!

What’s on your reading and blogging list today?