It's Thanksgiving. I want to thank every single one of you for sticking around & engaging with me. I'd also like to take the time to thank some of the people who enrich my life & empower me.
I'd like to thank all my new friends & one of my oldest friends @AtourSargon, with whom I reconnected only because of @Twitter. We went to college together & were practically tied to the hip. I am thankful for you, my friend.
I'd like to thank team leader & one of the sharpest legal minds out there, @glennkirschner2. I am thankful not just for your brilliance & your relentless fight for justice, but also for your humility, kindness & friendship.
I'd also like to thank #TeamJustice editor @petersoby. Without you, we would not be able to get Glenn's guidance - something we all need during these trying times. You are a hero in my book.
I'd like to thank @kathygriff1n@kathygriffin or wherever in the digitalverse you are sneaking around at the moment. You may not see this, but know that you are always in my prayers. Thank you for seeing me.
I'd like to thank @libradunn@SergeantAqGo@SemperWry, Michael Fanone, Caroline Edwards & the hundreds of Capitol police officers who defended our republic against a violent insurrection. You are heroes. Your courage & sacrifice will never be forgotten.
I'd like to thank @SpeakerPelosi for everything she has done for us. Also, @POTUS & @VP for steadfast leadership in the most hostile political environment in recent memory.
I'd like to thank @RepRiggleman@Liz_Cheney & other patriotic conservatives for standing by the Constitution, for building bridges & informing the American people. Your dedication to duty & country is an example that should be followed by all.
I'd like to thank @Acyn & @RonFilipkowski. Relentless free agent patriots like you hold the intellectual frontlines of our republic. Thank you for your clips & perspectives that enrich our understanding of the extremism that threatens our republic.
Whether you see this or not, you enrich my life & I am thankful for you all. Don't overeat & have some extra stuffing for me. I haven't had a decent Thanksgiving meal in 8 years, living in India & all. And I'm too lazy to make my own. So don't feel bad for me. Gobble, Gobble.
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Elon Musk said that he would only allow 'legal speech' on Twitter. Well, by reinstating Donald Trump, he has broken that fundamental promise. Speech on social media platforms are not protected by First Amendment...for now. Remember: This remains a case of first impression.
The extent to which private companies curb & manipulate speech on their platforms has a real impact on society. When that harm is demonstrably specific, the brings into question the shield Sec. 230 provides them. No legal protection in absolute & Sec. 230 is no exception.
The policy behind Sec. 230 & any law is to ensure that citizens & entities do not break the law. When you disseminate illegal speech - slander, libel, incitement & fighting words - you are breaking the law. Because that speech IS ILLEGAL!
A series of events between May & August of this year led the FBI to seek a search warrant for Donald Trump's residence at Mar-A-Lago. On August 8th, 2022 the FBI conducted a lawful search pursuant a lawfully issued search warrant by judge Bruce Reinhart.
Soon after the search, Donald Trump filed a civil lawsuit in judge Aileen Cannon's court. He asked judge Cannon to stop the DOJ criminal investigation & asked the judge for a special master review.
Judge Cannon ordered the DOJ to respond, saying she was inclined grant the special master review. She did this before the Justice Department had opportunity to reply to Donald's motion. However, DOJ replied with an ironclad filing.
The chatter & rhetoric extremist groups were using before the insurrection are also corroborated by Cassidy Hutchinson's testimony, that many in the West Wing were aware of these extremist groups & the propaganda blaming Antifa for the insurrection.
The Antifa propaganda not only spread among extremist groups, but was also peddled by Matt Gaetz on the House Floor right after the insurrection. Marjorie Taylor Greene continues to peddle that lie to this day.
In fact, Stewart Rhodes' whole plan of attacking premised on the assumption that Antifa would attack them, Donald would invoke the Insurrection Act & somehow deputize the Oathkeepers to attack Antifa & thereby the Capitol. That didn't pan out as planned.
While most people don't keep up to day-to-day politics, Americans understand the value of their vote. They vote on issues that matter to them personally & immediately more than ideologically.
2. Rise of conservative-leaning independents
Both Democratic candidates endorsed by @Liz_Cheney & @RepRiggleman won their reelections in highly contested districts (Spanberger & Slotkin). Socially liberal(ish), fiscally conservative, anti-insurrection.
3. Left or right, incumbents are generally difficult to defeat
We haven't had one significant candidate flip this midterm (yet). John Fetterman flipped a senate seat, but not against an incumbent.
173. Targeted Attack On Speaker Nancy Pelosi's Husband, Paul Pelosi
174. Clip 1 from above video:
Charges For Which Suspect David DePape Was Booked
175. Clip 2 from above video:
David DePape screamed 'Where's Nancy?' - a chant we keep hearing in videos from the insurrection, whether from the Jan. 6th Committee or the numerous ongoing trials - before attacking Paul Pelosi.
In this calm before the inevitable storm, let us take stock of the things we have learned over the last two years. None of it is pretty & most of it has been repeated over & over again. But it's worth repeating because it is that important.
On November 4, 2020, at 4 in the morning, Donald Trump declared war on American democracy by claiming victory in the 2020 presidential election. Here's a warning about his seditious conspiracy from a week later:
From November 2020 until January 6th, 2021, Donald Trump set his multifaceted seditious plan into motion. Vice Chairman Liz Cheney called this 'the three rings of interwoven attack.'