Jay Jochnowitz

"Sandwich Guy." Street art in Washington, D.C. I hear just looking at this makes Jeanine "Is it wine o'clock yet?" Pirro livid, so don't share widely.

So, basically, Jeanine Pirro is the only prosecutor in the United States who can't get a grand jury to indict a ham sandwich?

The forcible entry into Rep. Jerry Nadler's office, and handcuffing and detention of a staffer, is straight out of the novel, "It Can't Happen Here," in which members of Congress who disagree with the president are jailed "for their own protection." Police-state, Gestapo-style abuse of power.

How Trump gets around tariffs and emolument concerns in accepting a jet from Qatar...

"Well, I don't approve of everything he does but..." ought to be embarrassing to repeat on a near daily basis after ten years.

They laughed when I bought penguins two weeks ago. Who's laughing now, huh?

Editorial: Mr. Trump defies the law The president’s disobedience of at least two judicial orders sets up a constitutional crisis that only Congress may be able to resolve.

Republicans in Congress may soon be forced to decide where their first loyalty lies — with the Constitution, or with a president who is openly violating it by defying court orders. Make no mistake about it, our very republic is at the risk many of us feared.

www.timesunion.com/opinion/arti...

Editorial: Shut it down, if you must The only thing worse than a federal shutdown would be for Congress to abdicate its responsibility to rein in unbridled executive power.

"Democrats who have pleaded helplessness in the face of one-party control of the government would be irresponsible not to seize the opportunity they finally have to insist on a return to some semblance of constitutional order."

www.timesunion.com/opinion/arti...

Anyone have a sense out there of how the boycott is going. No more than ever this administration and Congress need a message.

The Latest: Trump, Vance call Zelenskyy ‘disrespectful’ in Oval Office meeting President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance berated Volodymyr Zelenskyy as...

Trump says Zelenskyy's hatred for the Russian leader who invaded his nation and killed tens of thousands of his people is a problem, as the American vice president scolded the Ukrainian for not saying "thanks." www.timesunion.com/news/politic...

Jochnowitz: Did Trump violate his settlement with N.Y.? Taking over the Kennedy Center and appointing its entire board brings to mind the president's ill-starred history running a nonprofit

6 years ago, Donald Trump was forced to shut down his foundation and agree to a settlement that restricted his ever getting involved with a non-profit again. His takeover of the Kennedy Center may well violate that settlement.
www.timesunion.com/opinion/arti...

Editorial: Eric Adams needs to go The Trump administration uses the possible dismissal of corruption charges as a cudgel to keep NYC's Eric Adams docile and pliable.

The Times Union editorial board: Keeping the mayor in office, even for the 10 months remaining in his current term, would allow the perversion of the Justice Department to go unanswered. www.timesunion.com/opinion/arti...

Mitch McConnell should have led Senate Republicans to convict Trump in 2021 for trying to subvert our democracy and foment an insurrection. These votes of supposed conscience against unqualified, dangerous nominees are impotent attempts at redemption now.

Russia just declared this Toolski Gabbard Day.

The AP has good reason for doing this. The Gulf of Mexico is international, & some countries aren't calling it what Trump wants; AP's policy reflects that. Now Trump is punishing AP for not reporting the way he demands. A clear 1st Amendment violation. A serious fight over a small man's triviality.

The Path to American Authoritarianism What comes after democratic breakdown.

You're not imagining it; our republic is undergoing an authoritarian makeover. This piece from FP looks at how it's happening (and happened elsewhere), how weaponization of government stands to weaken and scare off the opposition, and what can yet be done. www.foreignaffairs.com/united-state...

My professional email is now on the White House press list, and today I received two "pool reports." I'm not a veteran of the WH press corps, but I've always understood pool reports to be from reporters, not PR staff. If this is going on, hope the press corps has the guts to file an objection.

"I was saved by God to make America great again." Yes, he said that. And followed it with more self-aggrandizing exaggerations and misrepresentations of the election and claims of much broader support than he has.

Franklin Graham's fawning "prayer" is disgraceful, further dividing America into Trump supporters and enemies.

What a contrast: A warm, smiling, upbeat exiting president, and a scowling incoming one, forcing himself to smile and for some reason giving his wife an air kiss.

Headline I wouldn't be surprised to hear:
"Village People insist backbeat in new YMCA version is tap shoes, not jackboots."

Musk Expresses Support for Far-Right Party in Germany’s Election It was not the first online intervention by Elon Musk, the entrepreneur and adviser to Donald Trump, on behalf of once-fringe anti-immigrant parties in Europe.

The top advisor to the president elect of the United States endorses a Neo-Nazi party, calling it the only thing that can save Germany. Still cool with this guy, and his partner, US conservatives?
Musk Expresses Support for Far-Right Party in Germany’s Election www.nytimes.com/2024/12/20/w...

2/2 "...Indeed, as the evidence at trial recounted below makes clear, the jury found that Mr. Trump in fact did exactly that."
--US District Judge Lewis Kaplan

1/2 No, Trump wasn't vindicated by ABC settling a defamation lawsuit:

"The finding that Ms. Carroll failed to prove that she was 'raped' within the meaning of the New York Penal Law does not mean that she failed to prove that Mr. Trump 'raped' her as many people commonly understand the word 'rape.'

It's also possible that several people I know are in "jail."

21st Century journalism dilemma: Facebook is down and I can't post this Breaking News on Facebook.

If Donald Trump had paid attention during his intelligence briefings , he would know that you NEVER challenge Emmanuel Macron to a thumb war.

Editorial: A pardon that shouldn't be forgiven Biden's decision to pardon his son was a bad call that will provide cover for Trump to make even worse ones.

The @timesunion.com editorial board raps the Hunter pardon: "Reflexively saying 'That’s bad but Trump’s worse' is a flimsy defense of any elected official — especially one who has spent years calling out the president-elect’s antidemocratic antics." www.timesunion.com/opinion/arti...