Sunday, October 20, 2024

Crooked Trump and Crooked Musk

In Pennsylvania, Convicted Felon Donald Trump insisted he was nowhere near 80. In June of 2026, he turns 80.  He also claimed he 'aced' two cognitive tests and the doctor said no one had ever done so well.  Really?  Then why did the doctor give you two cognitive tests?  More to the point, you don't ace it.  The test either determines you have cognitive problems or it determines that you don't.  It's a pass/fail test.   He is close to 80 and it matters because he's unable to keep up the campaign schedule -- so how the hell would he be able to handle four years in the White House?  Noting all of his recent appearance cancellations, Griffin Eckstein (SALON) points out, "The diminished campaigning schedule is sure to raise eyebrows as critics question whether the 78-year-old former president is fit to continue campaigning at a competitive pace."  He's not.  He's ranting and raving when he does manage to show up for an appearance.  


Oliver O'Connell and Joe Sommerlad (INDEPENDENT) note:

Donald Trump, 78, ranted at a town hall Sunday in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, that he is “not close to 80”, a sign that the Harris campaign’s increased focus on his age and cancellation of several interviews in recent days has been getting to him.

Trump also worked the fry cooker at a McDonald’s on Sunday — the latest bizarre moment in a campaign that has increasingly become a tour of personal vendettas and aimless grudges despite his aides’ best efforts to keep the former president on track.


On McDonalds, THE HINDUSTAN TIMES notes:

Even as X users were eulogising their MAGA head for ‘trolling’ Kamala Harris over her claims that she has worked for McDonald's during yesteryears Redditors exposed his political gimmick by releasing images of a shut down McDonald's in Pennsylvania.

[. . .]

Redditors put out the most stunning proof that verified Trump's attendance at the Feasterville McDonald's was all but staged. A note put up by Derek Giacomantonio, the unit's manager stating, “We plan to be closed on Sunday, October 20 until 4 p.m., to accommodate a visit at the request of former President Trump and his campaign.”

The note ended with, “I apologise for the inconvenience of closing our restaurant and sincerely look forward to serving you very soon.”


From his 'hair' to his orange skin color, everything about Donald is fake.  True also of his celebrity supporters.  Let's note this from MEET THE PRESS (NBC).



KRISTEN WELKER:

Governor, let me ask you about a development we learned about overnight. Elon Musk says he will be giving away a million dollars every day to random voters who signed his super PAC’s petition. You are a former attorney general. Is this legal?

GOV. JOSH SHAPIRO:

I think there are real questions with how he is spending money in this race, how the dark money is flowing, not just into Pennsylvania, but apparently now into the pockets of Pennsylvanians. That is deeply concerning. Look, Musk obviously has a right to be able to express his views. He's made it very, very clear that he supports Donald Trump. I don’t – obviously, we have a difference of opinion. I don't deny him that right. But when you start flowing this kind of money into politics, I think it raises serious questions that folks may want to take a look at.

KRISTEN WELKER:

So you think it might not be legal? Yes or no.

GOV. JOSH SHAPIRO:

I think it's something that law enforcement could take a look at. I'm not the attorney general anymore of Pennsylvania. I'm the governor, but it does raise some serious questions.

KRISTEN WELKER:

All right. Well, I have to end the interview by saying from one Pennsylvanian to another, "Go Birds." We'll be watching the game today.

GOV. JOSH SHAPIRO:

Go Birds. All right, Kristen, thank you.


Shapiro's correct.  This is not in the spirit of the law.  There are so many problems with what Musk is doing -- far beyond just trash trying to buy our election.  Which is why we raised objections last week. Mike Catalini (AP) notes:  


Some election law experts are raising red flags about the giveaway. Brendan Fischer, a campaign finance lawyer, said the latest iteration of Musk’s giveaway approaches a legal boundary. That’s because the PAC is requiring registration as a prerequisite to become eligible for the $1 million check. “There would be few doubts about the legality if every Pennsylvania-based petition signer were eligible, but conditioning the payments on registration arguably violates the law,” Fischer said in an email.

Rick Hasen, a UCLA Law School political science professor, went further. He pointed to a law that prohibits paying people for registering to vote or for voting. “If all he was doing was paying people to sign the petition, that might be a waste of money. But there’s nothing illegal about it,” Hasen said in a telephone interview. “The problem is that the only people eligible to participate in this giveaway are the people who are registered to vote. And that makes it illegal.” 


Marshall Cohen (CNN) reports:

             

Regardless of the long odds of a Musk prosecution, other respected election law experts strongly condemned the billionaire’s behavior.

“This isn’t a particularly close case — this is exactly what the statute was designed to criminalize,” said David Becker, a former Justice Department official handling voting rights cases and founder of the nonpartisan Center for Election Innovation & Research.

Becker said the fact that the prize is available only to registered voters “in one of seven swing states that could affect the outcome of the presidential election” is strong evidence of Musk’s intent to influence the race, which could be legally problematic.

“This offer was made in the last days before some registration deadlines,” Becker said, bolstering the appearance that the cash prizes are designed to drive up registration.

Rick Hasen, an election law expert at the UCLA School of Law and a Trump critic, said in a blog post that Musk’s sweepstakes was “clearly illegal vote-buying.” He pointed out that the Justice Department’s election crimes manual specifically says it’s illegal to offer “lottery chances” that are “intended to induce or reward” actions such as voter registration.     


It's a shame that it took others calling it out for journalists and news outlets to note the legal problems.  But, again, journalism students are glorified general studies majors.  They're not really known for expertise.  And our country suffers as a result.  


Roger Friedman does a gossip column -- does it very well and has for years.  It's a shame other  journalists -- covering actual news -- can't match him in their own coverage.  At SHOWBIZ 411, he notes Ethel Kennedy's funeral and how wayward son Robert Kennedy Junior and his laughable wife Cheryl Hines showed up:


Hines has a Cheshire cat smile, and her hand is in her pocket. Is she going to stay with Kennedy after his much publicized affair with journalist Olivia Nuzzi? Or is she so happy to be with Kennedys and former presidents that she will overlook the revelation that her husband reportedly wanted to “impregnate” Nuzzi?

And it’s not just Nuzzi. Kennedy reportedly has had a few affairs this year.


Multiple.  Multiple affairs.  And we are all laughing at her.  Kat's "Kat's Korner: Chase Rice's GO DOWN SINGIN' and Cher's CLOSER TO THE TRUTH" went up this morning.  The following sites updated:





 

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