I don’t know much but I know more than you do.

It appears that the case will actually go to trial week after next – the last week of July.  It will start with jury selection, then opening statements, and finally the trial.

Here’s where we are.  Jones has already been found “guilty” of defamation so now a jury must decide what the punishment should be.  And in civil cases, punishment means money.

I was able to watch a pre-trial motion hearing all day on Friday on You Tube.  The video was fine but the audio was awful.  HBO has been given special permission by the judge to video the entire trial.  I do not know if they will put it on YouTube for the trial or not.

You will know all the details when I do.  Meanwhile, Mark and his partner Bill handled the press inquires after the hearing.  You can watch it here.

The two senior partners in the firm have decided to help with the trial because they have gotten so involved.  Mark and Bill are so relieved to have the experienced help.  They are a band of brothers.

If I am counting correctly Jones is on his 12th lawyer since this all began. His lawyers would not talk to the press.  I simply cannot imagine why.  Are they not proud of their client?

After the last month, this one speaks volumes about our plunge backwards to the 1940s.  The court was our last line of defense against fascism.  Now that it’s now a tool of extremists, we’re on our own.

I would like to discuss this tweet in a calm, logical, and rational manner …

This is an invasion. https://t.co/oNckBgjSzD

— Rep Andy Biggs (@RepAndyBiggsAZ) July 13, 2022

… but I can’t. There is a limit to stupid, mean, and prevarication allowed under the Juanita Jean limits for what does not honor the right of free speech. Look, I know this is free speech but, Honey, it does nothing to honor that right.

First off, look who wrote it. Andy Biggs has no damn moral right to question the legality of anybody’s actions. The people in this picture did not seek a Presidential pardon, you withering little Arizona belch.

Second off, these people are coming to America for a better life and that’s the same reason my family came here. And in all honesty, some of my family did not behave as they should have. Four generations back one of my relatives broke about half the commandments in one day. He lusted after another man’s wife, shot him dead in a duel, and then announced he’d do it again except next time it wouldn’t be a duel, but an ambush. And that’s why we don’t talk about Uncle Melvin much. In his defense, it was awful hot that day.

Third off, you know, if Mexico would only help … whoa, wait never mind. Mexico just pledged $1.5 billion to help with border security and processing. I didn’t see Trump get a damn dime from Mexico.

Next off (hell, I’m losing count), it is perfectly apparent that current policy is working because these people were caught and are being immediately processed.

And … if this reporter can identify coyotes by just looking, he’s wasting his life working at FOX News in El Lay.

Last off, man’s first question to God was – am I my brother’s keeper? God answered. Jesus also answered in Luke 10:29-37. So Biggs, I’m talking to you. You better check the score. You’re not the priest, nor even the Levite. You’re the thieves.

And that’s as civil as I can be. In my defense, it’s awful hot today.

As someone who was a grown ass woman during the Nixon years, I learned one damn thing: never say anything anywhere outside your bedroom that you don’t want to have to listen to being played back at the Rotary Club with your mother there.

Along with many other things, Steve Bannon did not learn that.

They were laughing about it. Laughing about a coup. Laughing. I’m a mother. I would konk him upside the head with my tennis shoe.

I gotta tell you that yesterday’s hearing left me gasping. Worse that Watergate? Oh hell yeah. Even Nixon knew he was going to leave the Oval Office one day.

One other thing. Spending years as a reporter, I learned that if you ask someone a question and their answer is, “Who said that?” or “Where did you hear that?” it’s a confirmation that whatever you asked is true. I noticed that same reaction when Ivanka was asked if she was sent to her dad on 1/6 to calm him down. That woman was lying. Okay, I know you know I’m right. Her lips were moving.

This slow train to hell is picking up steam every day. I have a feeling that it’s going to come roaring into the station.

By the way, Robert Mueller is gonna have some ‘plainin’ to do.

Come to find out, George W Bush was not impressed with Rick Perry.

Former President George W. Bush didn’t have the best things to say about his Texas successor in the governor’s mansion when he called up Mitt Romney during the 2012 Republican presidential primaries, according to a new book.

“People thought I was dumb. Well, wait till you get a load of this guy,” Bush told Romney, now a Republican US Senator, about then-Texas Gov. Rick Perry, according to a rendition of the exchange in “Thank You for Your Servitude: Donald Trump’s Washington and the Price of Submission.”

And, Honey, it’s been downhill in Texas ever since. If Greg Abbott wins in November, we’ll have to go to Oklahoma to find our next governor.

Oh, I see he’s met Rick.

As the January 6th Committee focuses all its attention on TFG, the evidence presented makes it indisputable that not only is he a Giant ShitBag, he’s a criminal guilty of seditious conspiracy and other crimes.  Life for TFG is going to radically change in coming months with dozens of lawsuits and even criminal charges in his future.  Recent polls are showing his death grip on the GOP is weakening, and many Republican voters are beginning to look elsewhere for 2024.

While I welcome Trump finally facing the music, taking him out politically presents a conundrum – besides Biden, the Dems have no candidate groomed or positioned to run for president in 2024.  With Trump out of the way, the next choice for the GOP is Ron DeSantis who I would describe as TFG, only smart.  DeSantis understands what issues drive his base to the polls and he is relentless.  He’s been trying to get to the right of every other possible candidate in the last 2 years especially Abbott in their race to the Crazy Train 2024.  After TFG, DeSantis is polling stronger by multiples than everyone else on the train.  For the Dems, that’s not good.

I love me some Joe Biden, but he’s going to be 82 in 2024.  That’s simply too old, especially up against a much younger loudmouthed opponent like DeSantis.  That match up simply won’t turn out well.  The big problem for the Dems is that there is no other obvious choice; Kamala polls around 37% approval, and currently polls about even with DeSantis and her name recognition is much higher than his, at least for now.  That’s not great.  Behind her are, Schiff? Newsom? Warren? Sanders? (God, please no). Booker? Roy Cooper? (gov of NC). Klobuchar? AOC? Buttigieg? Sherrod Brown?  Of all these possibilities, Brown seems the strongest choice as he’s done well for years in Ohio which is more conservative than it is liberal.  Buttigieg is a possible, especially now that he’s a cabinet secretary, but I’m not convinced he’ll have a enough broad appeal, especially with low information voters.  The rest are either not ready (AOC) or unelectable, like Warren and Sanders.

In the end, the Dems face a tough choice.  I would vote for any Dem over DeSantis, but I’m not your typical voter, and this is the problem for 2024.  Typical voters don’t pay close attention until it’s almost too late, and tend to follow the herd.  That’s how TFG eked out a win in 2016; DeSantis has the advantage for 2024 of a strong base and coming from probably THE key battleground state giving him a huge leg up on everyone else.

Such is the problem with the Dems; unlike the GOP, the Dems do almost no grass roots growing, and that makes the party weaker.  One illustration of the difference between the two parties is that of the pyramid.  Repubs build a broad base, running for school boards, precinct chairs, and town councils. On this base is built a large population of up and coming politicians, and those who rise to the top become the leading candidates with president on the top of the pyramid.  The Dems do the opposite; there’s very little broad grass roots work so presidential candidates are on their own to get enough attention to get nominated (Obama was the textbook example of that).  Once the candidate is selected, the entire party then piles onto that candidate forming an upside down pyramid that is 100% dependent on the candidate; if he/she fails, the entire party collapses and then has to rebuild.  Relentless grass roots development is how the GOP has come to dominate in most states, and the Dems haven’t figured it out yet.

That brings us to 2024.  The January 6th Committee stands a really good chance of taking out TFG either by actual criminal charges from the DOJ or at least damaging him enough to kill his 2024 chances.  That brings DeSantis, who’s a much stronger candidate.  The Dems don’t have an answer for that.  It ain’t pretty, and I’m not hopeful.