Just Ask The Question Newsletter - 5.10.24
Trials, tribulations, and the future of democracy
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A return to facts over “fake” news
From Trump’s trial to Biden’s press strategy to Marjorie Taylor Greene’s failure, quit playing games with the facts
According to former co-counsel for Trump's first impeachment and Obama White House Ethics Czar Norm Eisen, within the next three weeks, the leading contender for the presidency in the Republican Party may be a convicted felon. Watching Donald Trump on trial in Manhattan “having to sit in front of a jury of his peers,” Eisen said, renews his faith in the “Constitutional process,” established when we became our own country at the end of the 18th century.
“Everyone is equal in the lies of the law,” he reminded me. That’s a fact worth remembering.
I’m just thankful Eisen is sitting in that courtroom in close proximity to Trump instead of me. I spent four years being in close quarters with Trump during his term in office and it felt like viewing the bears in the zoo from within their enclosure.
Holding Trump accountable for his actions is something many have dreamed of, and many thought would never happen. It is of particular interest because of what Trump has said he wants to do if he’s re-elected this fall: The dismantling of our democracy and the institution of an effective monarchy where he would act as a King. “We don’t want a King. We got rid of that a long time ago,” Eisen said…
The Kentucky Derby is tamed, and it's a shame
The divide between the classes is as dramatic as ever in society and that is reflected at the Kentucky Derby
I grew up on the backstretch of Churchill Downs, learning to imbibe, thrive and survive. From 1971 through 1979 I attended every wild Kentucky Derby ride I could and regret nothing for the bodily fluids I voluntarily and involuntarily left there.
Today that wild ride is tamed, and it’s a shame.
If you take the stoic’s view, then this too shall pass. But, the observer in me can’t help but notice the comic elements of the passing.
The Derby’s reputation as an out-of-control party that made Woodstock seem like a church fish fry rose at the height of the counterculture of the 1960s and culminated in 1970 with an article in Scanlan’s Monthly written by Hunter S. Thompson, “The Kentucky Derby is Decadent and Depraved.” The article was cheered as one of the first examples of “Gonzo” Journalism. Thompson could not have picked a better subject for his acid and bourbon-soaked narrative.
The infield of the Derby – the general admission area inside the racetrack where you couldn’t catch a glimpse of a horse – was a hippy fest of Biblical proportions during my youth. When Charlton Heston marched down from the mountain with the 10 Commandments in hand, rumor was the orgy scene in the movie was taken from memories of the Derby infield – though they had to dial it back for the movies…
Ep: 265 - Norm Eisen outlines a potential conviction of Donald trump
Norm Eisen outlines a potential conviction of Donald trump and what will happen if he’s found guilty.
Ep: 262 - Mark Zaid - What is the U.S. gov't not telling us about 'Havana Syndrome'?
Listen NOW
This week on JATQ: our conversation with Mark Zaid explores the topic of Havana Syndrome, a mysterious illness that has affected American and Canadian diplomats and intelligence officers. The term 'Havana Syndrome' is considered inappropriate and misleading, as similar incidents have occurred in other locations. The symptoms of Havana Syndrome include pounding pressure in the head, vision problems, vertigo, nausea, migraines, and in some cases, projectile vomiting. The conversation delves into the history of microwave technology and its potential use as a weapon. It also discusses the possibility of foreign adversaries, particularly Russia, being behind the attacks. The US government's response to Havana Syndrome has been criticized, with accusations of a cover-up and a lack of protection for its personnel. The conversation concludes with a discussion on the future of the investigation and the potential implications of these attacks as acts of war.
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The Trump effect is now spreading in all directions
His bottom-feeding is spreading across politics
On the night of Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination, Bobby Kennedy appeared at a public event in Indianapolis and quelled a potential riot. What he said that night still resonates:
What we need in the United States is not division; what we need in the United States is not hatred; what we need in the United States is not violence or lawlessness, but is love and wisdom, and compassion toward one another, and a feeling of justice towards those who still suffer within our country.
Kennedy was cheered by the mostly Black crowd he spoke to, replacing fear with hope, at least for a moment. Fifty-six years later, there are violent protests on college campuses nationwide, and former President Donald Trump, in comparison, has embraced lawlessness and violence. He was fined $9,000 Tuesday for violating a gag order in Manhattan’s election interference trial. Trump claimed afterward that the judge was “rigging” the 2024 election. He continues to claim that our situation is hopeless and we’re going to hell.
Takeaways from Biden’s candid CNN interview as he warns Israel
Donald Trump slams president over threat to withhold heavy bombs
ANALYSIS — President Joe Biden is headed back to California to raise more campaign cash Friday and Saturday after he sent shockwaves around the globe with a potential landmark change to U.S. foreign policy.
Biden sat down with CNN anchor Erin Burnett during a campaign stop in battleground Wisconsin on Wednesday. As he did during recent official White House and campaign events, he jabbed at Donald Trump, the presumed GOP presidential nominee, and defended his economic record.
The president has joked that his staff dreads when he goes off-script or veers away from the prepared remarks on a teleprompter. And he has given fewer media interviews than his recent predecessors, including Trump.
But when he does, Biden often is more candid than when he is delivering remarks from behind the presidential lectern or even answering reporters’ shouted questions, which usually generate four- or five-word answers than can raise even more questions about his policy stances.
His CNN sit-down was no exception, as Biden delivered his most blunt warning to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his war cabinet. Here are three takeaways.
Ep: 264 Just Ask the Press - Hope Hicks, Kristi Noem, and the disappearing middle class
In this weeks episode, we discuss Hope Hicks' testimony in court, the press briefing situation in the White House, campus riots, and the potential impact on the upcoming election. We analyze the ongoing trial of Donald Trump in New York and the arguments presented by both the defense and the prosecution. We also explore the parallels between the current political climate and the events of the late 1960s and early 1970s. The hosts debate whether Joe Biden and his team understand the challenges they face and if they are effectively responding to them. They also discuss Marjorie Taylor Greene's attempt to remove Mike Johnson as speaker of the House and the potential implications of her actions.
The conversation in this segment covers two main themes: the potential impact of the Republican Party's internal conflicts on the upcoming elections and the issue of inflation and its political implications. The discussion touches on the lack of a clear endgame for the Republicans' efforts to remove Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the potential effect of these conflicts on down-ticket elections, and the possibility of Donald Trump using the situation to claim election fraud. The conversation then shifts to the topic of South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem shooting her dog and the twisted purpose behind it. Finally, we discuss the lack of a comprehensive plan from both Democrats and Republicans to address inflation and the potential consequences of rising prices on the middle class. The conversation concludes with a discussion about price gouging and the high cost of tickets for events.
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