WE CAN CALL IT A WRAP!!!

Trump’s coast-to-coast wins – in California, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and ALL points beyond – brought a new mathematical certainty to what has been the political reality for some time: Boy Orange is ALL but certain to capture the GOP presidential nomination.

At some point today, Nikki Haley plans to make the obvious official, with an event where she will drop out but NOT immediately offer her endorsement to Trump. Instead, she will say he must work to win over her voters. Nikki, oh Nikki!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Okay. It’s done. NO more pie in the sky possibilities for the GOP primaries.

Can we NOW stop with the 24/7 everything TRUMP on the media – print, online, cable, broadcast?!!

And, oh, stop with Biden is old. They are BOTH ancients!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It’s the hope of the old Lobsterman that the so-called political junkies will now center on presenting to the American voter what a second Trump term would mean for our country and the world and to weigh the serious responsibility this election places on their shoulders.

American voters should have NO illusions – absolutely NONE – about who Trump is.

During his many years as a real estate developer and a television personality, then as president and as a dominant figure in the Republican Party, the Orange Manchild demonstrated a character and temperament that render him utterly unfit!!! for high office.

In his first term as president, Trump wielded power carelessly and often cruelly – often going unchallenged by his own party and Congress – putting his ego and his personal needs above the interests of the country.

Now, as he campaigns again, his worst impulses remain as strong as ever – encouraging violence and lawlessness, exploiting fear and hate for political gain, undermining!!! the rule of law and the Constitution, applauding dictators – and are escalating as he tries to regain power.

He plots retribution, intent on eluding!!! the institutional, legal and bureaucratic restraints.

SEIZE HIS ASSets

Boy Orange, who has lost two recent civil cases, is under pressure to find enough cash to stave off enormous asset seizures while he appeals judgments against him totaling at least $537 million.

Trump has long bragged he is a billionaire many times over. While much of his wealth is tied up in real estate, he testified under oath less than a year ago that he had “substantially in excess of $400 million in cash.”

Lies…

Unless the appeals court cuts him a break, in each case Trump would have to post cash or a bond in the full amount, plus an additional percentage to account for interest. If he fails, the state’s attorney general, Letitia James, who brought the fraud cause, has warned she will move quickly to seize some of his properties/buildings.

James should seize his properties in New York City. And, given that more City shelter space is needed, due to the homelessness problems exacerbated!!! by Trump’s command to his Congressional minions to reject the border security bill negotiated between the Senate and Biden, as well as by the political shenanigans perpetrated by Abbot, DeSantis, et al. – well, draw swords!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So-o-o-o-o, why NOT make Trump Tower into a shelter for asylum seekers?!!

Irony is as sweet as karma.

CEMENTING THE OBVIOUS

Voters in 15 states, including two giants – Texas and California – will head to the polls today for a Super Tuesday that is likely to set a White House rematch in November between Biden and Trump.

The contests will also determine the contours of races for the House and Senate that will shape the legislative branch next year.

The biggest troves of delegates – California has 169 and Texas 161 – are almost certain to go to the Orange Despot, and Super Tuesday looms large for Nikki Haley’s donors, who need to see she has a chance. More than a third of ALL delegates will be allotted today, NOT enough to make Trump the presumptive nominee but enough to make him the prohibitive favorite…which he ALREADY is.

Also of interest, yesterday, the US Supreme Court issued a ruling that reversed!!! the Colorado Supreme Court’s decision striking Donald John Trump from the state’s primary ballot, indicating even insurrectionists who’ve violated their previous oath of office can hold federal office, unless and until Congress passes specific legislation to enforce Section 3 of the Constitution.

Given what we’ve seen of this court, their preference for Trump and even more so for the Republican Party is clear. It will be interesting to see what pretzels they turn themselves into to find a way to grant Trump immunity.

The only saving grace to the Supreme Court‘s scurrilous ruling is that there is another decision coming up for them. Trump was clearly in violation of Section 3, but his toadies on the Court ignored that in favor of placing their figurehead ahead of the welfare of the country. Now, the Court needs to rule on the immunity quandary and whether the country gets back on track again.

Times like NO other…

MESSIER BY THE MOMENT

The Supreme Court – last Wednesday – agreed to decide whether Donald John Trump is immune from prosecution on charges of plotting to overturn the ’20 election, further delaying his criminal trial!!! as it considers the matter.

The justices scheduled arguments for the week of April 22nd and said proceedings in the trial court would remain frozen, handing at least an interim victory to Trump. His litigation strategy in ALL of the criminal prosecutions against him has consisted, in large part, of trying to slow things down!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Supreme Court’s response to Boy Orange put the justices in the unusual position of deciding another aspect of Trump’s fate: whether and how quickly Trump could go to trial. That, in turn, could affect his election prospects and, should he be re-elected, his ability to scuttle the prosecution.

GAME-SET-MATCH.

When thinking about these circumstances, the old Lobsterman ALWAYS returns to the same point-of-origin: Merrick Garland.

Meaning what?!! you ask…

It was Garland, who sacrificed actual justice in favor of the appearance of justice, dithering and hand wringing for literally years!!! before bringing a case against Trump, or even interviewing the witnesses in a timely manner under oath.

Garland tiptoed around political concerns, avoiding Trump’s case which was pretty likely to have one or more points that might be appealed to the Supreme Court – while he instead directed the DOJ to pursue prosecutions of lesser actors.

As if by doing one, the Justice Department is somehow unable to focus on BOTH, or that a plodding traditional bottom-up investigation best served public interest.

Put in its simplest terms: Lying about election results to retain power does NOT seem to fall under official business.

AN INTERESTING MONTH…we’ll see

March begins with Super Tuesday – tomorrow – and is set to end with jury selection in Boy Orange’s first criminal trial, in New York, for hush-money payments made secretly to a pornographic film star in the heat of the ’16 campaign.

In between, Donald John Trump is expected to effectively clinch the nomination and complete a takeover that will give him operational control of the Re’Trump’lican National Committee.

A New York Times/Siena College survey over this past weekend showed Trump ahead 48% to 43% among registered voters.

Joey Biden is hampered by widespread concerns about his age and his handling of the job, fractures in the Democratic coalition over Israel and a general sourness about the state of the nation.

With the Orange Despot expected to rack up big wins on Super Tuesday and Biden preparing to deliver his State of the Union address on Thursday, this week is expected to clarify the coming choice for an American public that in many ways remains in disbelief that 2024 is headed toward a ’20 rematch.

Nikki Haley is still running in the Republican primary but polls predict a wipeout!!! on Super Tuesday, with 15 states in play. Trump’s team believes he could surpass a majority of delegates and secure the nomination as early as March 12th.

A PATHETIC PRESENCE

Senator Mitch McConnell, the longtime top Senate Republican, said yesterday that he would give up his spot as the party’s leader following the November elections.

His decision was NOT a surprise.

McConnell suffered a serious fall last year and experienced some medical episodes where he momentarily froze in front of the media. He has also faced rising resistance within his ranks!!! for his push to provide continued military assistance to Ukraine as well as his close-to-the-vest leadership style.

And his toxic relationship with the Orange Despot, whom he blamed for the 1/6 attack on the Capitol – after orchestrating his acquittal in an impeachment trial on charges of inciting an insurrection – put him profoundly at odds!!! with the rest of his party.

The old Lobsterman is hoping he won’t be appearing on any postage stamps or quarters any time soon.

If McConnell were a patriot, he would have convicted Trump and saved the Republic. McConnell was/is weak . The best he can do is resign because he won’t endorse Trump – or will he?!!

History will NOT be kind to the level of incivility, obstruction, and destruction McConnell encouraged. A slick politician that bordered on amoral. He refused to stand for anything other than power!!!

DOWN-TO-WIRE…yet again

Biden will convene the top four congressional leaders at the White House today as lawmakers swiftly run out of time to strike a deal to avert another partial government shutdown.

Joey plans to discuss the urgency of legislation to keep federal funding going past midnight on Friday, as well as his requests for billions of dollars in aid for Ukraine and Israel.

The spending bill is being held up by demands from insane-right lawmakers [children of Trump] in the House, including measures to restrict abortion access, that many members will NOT support.

Re’Trump’licans have brought the government to the brink of a shutdown or a partial shutdown three times in the past six months!!! as they try to win more spending cuts and conservative policy conditions written into how federal money is spent.

With another pair of funding deadlines approaching at the end of this week and next week, lawmakers are now laboring to try to reach an agreement [machinations by a herd of hyenas] to fund the government for the rest of the fiscal year.

MORRISON WAS CORRECT

This is the end

Beautiful friend

This is the end

My only friend, the end

Of our elaborate plans, the end

Of everything that stands, the end

No safety or surprise, the end

I’ll never look into your eyes again…

h/t: The Doors.

REIGN OF CORRUPTION

A Manhattan jury ruled yesterday that the leaders of the National Rifle Association (NRA) had engaged in a yearslong pattern of financial misconduct and corruption.

The case, brought by New York’s attorney general, Letitia James, touched the uppermost echelons of the gun-rights group. In addition to the group’s former leader, Wayne LaPierre, the defendants included the group’s former treasurer, Wilson Phillips, and its general counsel, John Frazer, who still works for the group. The NRA itself was also a defendant, and was found to have ignored whistle-blower complaints and submitted false filings to the state.

Even if one just followed this these circumstances on its borders, the arguments made by the NRA in this case were nonsensical word salads.

Claiming the victim and abuse of trust [sound at ALL familiar?!!] when it’s the leadership was engaging in illegal activity; it’s the height of hypocrisy and entitlement. BOTH of which must be needed in large measure to keep a straight face while suggesting that arming teachers will make our schools safer.

What is this FIXATION with conservatives throwing $$$ at people who are obvious frauds?!! Trump, Lindell, NRA, Giuliani, RNC….?!!!!?

The old Lobsterman thinks he may have the answer: they enjoy being humiliated!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ACTION in the PALMETTO STATE

South Carolina is known as the palmetto [a tree] state.

One of the original 13 colonies.

Home of Francis Marion, aka The Swamp Fox, one of the great guerilla tactician of the American Revolutionary War.

Forty-seven minutes ago, polls opened in South Carolina, where voters will cast ballots in the state’s Republican contest, and where Donald John Trump is widely expected to notch another decisive victory on his path to securing the GOP nomination for president.

Most polls show Boy Orange trouncing former governor of the state, Nikki Haley, by more than 20 points.

Over the past ten days, social media posts have depicted Haley as Shiva, the deity of destruction. Others have used misleadingly fake technology [the latest weapon of world-wide politics/elections] to show her insulting voters. And, still others that direct vitriol at her son, a college student.

Although the prospect of supporting or voting for any Republican these days is an utter anathema to me, the old Lobsterman is tempted to donate $1 to Haley’s campaign just for the privilege of being forever banned from an audience with the Orange Despot or my presence in any of his hallowed dens.

If I could put this privilege into my lifetime resume for NOTHING more than a measly buck, I would consider my life to have been constructively purposeful.