The Trump Card...

muttly · Sep 29, 2023

ATeam said:
I base my statement on Judge Kaplan's analysis and statement:

“The only issue on which the jury did not find in Ms Carroll’s favour was whether she proved that Mr Trump ‘raped’ her within the narrow, technical meaning of that term in the New York penal law.

“The jury … was instructed that it could find that Mr Trump ‘raped’ Ms Carroll only if it found that he forcibly penetrated Ms Carroll’s vagina with his penis.

“It could not find that he ‘raped’ her if it determined that Mr Trump forcibly penetrated Ms Carroll’s private sexual parts with his fingers – which commonly is considered ‘rape’ in other contexts – because the New York penal law definition of rape is limited to penile penetration.

“As the court explained in its recent decision denying Mr Trump’s motion for a new trial on damages and other relief [in the New York case] … based on all of the evidence at trial and the jury’s verdict as a whole, the jury’s finding that Mr Trump ‘sexually abused’ Ms Carroll implicitly determined that he forcibly penetrated her digitally – in other words, that Mr Trump in fact did ‘rape’ Ms Carroll as that term commonly is used and understood in contexts outside of the New York penal law.” (Emphasis mine. Source).

If you want to continue to maintain that Trump is not a rapist because the jury did not check a box on a form, you are free to do that. Like the judge, I maintain that Trump is a rapist because the jury found he digitally penetrated a woman's vagina without her consent.

You mean a Clinton judge said stuff contrary to what a jury decided that weighed the evidence with a much easier bar than a reasonable doubt.

ATeam · Sep 29, 2023

muttly said:
You mean a Clinton judge said stuff contrary to what a jury decided that weighed the evidence with a much easier bar than a reasonable doubt.

No, that is not what I mean at all, but that's OK. I have come to expect you to misrepresent numerous matters of fact, including the meaning of my words.

You're free to tell me and others what you mean all day long. But you cross a line when you try to tell me and others what I mean. You have consistently demonstrated you lack that skill, and you have not earned the right.

ATeam · Sep 29, 2023

One Co-defendant Down, 18 to Go

This guy was able to avoid prison by:

1. admitting his crimes
2. writing a letter of apology to the citizens of Georgia
3. cooperating with the prosecutors and testifying when asked
4. not talking with the media until all 19 cases are complete
5. Not communicating with co-defendants and witnesses
6. serving 5 years of probation
7. providing 200 hours of community service
8. paying a $5,000 fine

I doubt the same deal will be offered to Trump. If it was, do you think he'd take it?

Scott Hall becomes first Georgia RICO defendant in Trump election interference case to take plea deal

Scott Hall, a bail bondsman, was one of the 19 defendants in the Trump Fulton County 2020 election interference case.

www.cbsnews.com

ATeam · Sep 29, 2023

Trump Sues Dossier Author Steele

The lawsuit was filed in a London court. I'm thinking Trump may win this one. Steele made a number of accusations that he has yet to back up. If Steel can't come up with the goods, Trump should win this one, and Steele should be held accountable. I'm a little surprised Trump did not sue Steele earlier. But he has now, and, unlike the numerous frivolous lawsuits Trump has filed in the past, this lawsuit seems reasonable to me.

ATeam · Sep 29, 2023

Report: Robert Kennedy to Run as Independent Candidate for President

We'll see if this plays out as reported. If it does, Kennedy will announce his independent run for president on Oct 9.

I would welcome such a move. With his belief in various conspiracy theories and anti-vax views, Kennedy is more of a MAGA man than a Democrat. If he actually becomes an independent candidate and obtains ballot access in 50 states, he will draw far more Trump than Biden (assuming Biden is the candidate, which is not assured).

If Kennedy runs as an independent, Trump's path to victory erodes.

EXCLUSIVE: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Planning to Announce Independent Run

2024 presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. plans to announce he will run as an independent on October 9 in Pennsylvania, Mediaite has learned.

www.mediaite.com

muttly · Sep 29, 2023

"Friday evening news dump."

muttly · Sep 29, 2023

Post debate poll. He went up without even debating.

RLENT · Sep 29, 2023

muttly said:
"Friday evening news dump."

LOL ... DOJ issued the press release and the search engines picked it up around 9 hours ago.

That was around ... (wait for it) ... noon ...

muttly · Sep 29, 2023

Always on Friday. A lot of the “news” reporters leave early for the weekend. But keep spinning.

RLENT · Sep 29, 2023

muttly said:
Always on Friday.

Nope.

A lot of news gets reported on the other days as well.

muttly said:
A lot of the “news” reporters leave early for the weekend.

Oh really ?

That's odd ... given that Fox, NBC, CBS, ABC, AP, NYT, Politico, The Hill, Forbes, and The Washington Times all have articles/coverage on it.

And that's just on the first page of hits.

muttly said:
But keep spinning.

No need for me to spin ... you're doing a wonderful job of that all by yourself.

The next red herring thrown will probably be "Yeah, but, but, but ... (a lot of) the audience (for news) have left early for the weekend !!!"

muttly · Sep 29, 2023

It’s debatable who RFK jr takes votes from. MAGA likes him on a few issues, but won’t vote for him over Trump. He reportedly is big on “green issues” so that would take votes away from Biden.

muttly · Sep 29, 2023

That’s why they do it on Friday. Keep uncomfortable stuff they have to release on the down low.

ATeam · Sep 29, 2023

Trump Says He Will Attend New York Fraud Trial Next Week. Why?

The trail for New York State Office of the Attorney General v. Donald J. Trump and the Trump Organization begins Monday with Judge Engoron presiding. This is a civil trial so Trump is not required to attend, unless he is called to testify. The trial will begin Monday with opening arguments. Trump will not be testifying. He was widely expected to not attend. News broke tonight that Trump revealed in a filing in another case that he will sit in Engoron's courtroom every day next week. For a full week, Trump will sit silently at the defense table with the judge looking down on him.

Why? As busy as he is with his presidential campaign and other matters, why would he suddenly decide to attend a trial for a full week when he does not have to attend at all?

RLENT · Sep 29, 2023

Special Counsel Jack Smith has filed his response to Trump's attorneys on the gag order:

https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.258148/gov.uscourts.dcd.258148.64.0_1.pdf

Let's hope he's as effective on this as he was in addressing Trump's motion for recusal of Judge Chutkin.

muttly · Sep 29, 2023

Look at the time the story gets posted.

ATeam · Sep 29, 2023

muttly said:
It’s debatable who RFK jr takes votes from. MAGA likes him on a few issues,

Of course it's debatable. Readers can take note that when muttly and I get into a debate about something, I usually win.

We won't know fur sure that Kennedy will even run an independent campaign until he himself confirms that. If he does, we won't know if he will gain ballot access in 50 states, or a number less than 50 that is significant enough to make a difference. Getting on state ballots is not easy. It's difficult. After those two questions are answered, we won't know if he will pull more votes away from Trump or the Democratic candidate (Biden, or someone else). But at some point we will know, and you can mark my words now in preparation for that day.

If Kennedy becomes a viable independent candidate, he will pull more votes from Republicans and especially MAGA Republicans, than he will from Biden or whoever the Democratic candidate then is.

RLENT · Sep 29, 2023

ATeam said:
Trump Says He Will Attend New York Fraud Trial Next Week. Why?

The trail for New York State Office of the Attorney General v. Donald J. Trump and the Trump Organization begins Monday with Judge Engoron presiding. This is a civil trial so Trump is not required to attend, unless he is called to testify. The trial will begin Monday with opening arguments. Trump will not be testifying. He was widely expected to not attend. News broke tonight that Trump revealed in a filing in another case that he will sit in Engoron's courtroom every day next week.

That leaves me and many others wondering why. As busy as he is with his presidential campaign and other matters, why would he suddenly decide to attend a trial for a full week when he does not have to attend at all?

Apparently he succeeded in using it to put off his previously scheduled deposition in his suit against his former attorney Michael Cohen.

But he only managed to delay that for 6 days.

Gives him a little more time to come up with another excuse.

Pilgrim · Sep 29, 2023

ATeam said:
Trump Says He Will Attend New York Fraud Trial Next Week. Why?

That leaves me and many others wondering why. As busy as he is with his presidential campaign and other matters, why would he suddenly decide to attend a trial for a full week when he does not have to attend at all?

He'll turn it into a campaign event. NYC is the media center of the world.