Back To The Law Books

The DoJ releases the memo we were promised in April backing SecTreas Mnuchin's refusal to cough up Trump's tax returns.

As I argued last May their argument was no doubt previewed in Mnuchin's 52 page letter of April 23 to House Chair Neal. However, I have yet to compare the two and, per the Times, a bit of legal water has passed under the bridge since April:

Mr. Engel’s argument that Congress lacked a legitimate legislative purpose in seeking Mr. Trump’s tax returns dovetailed closely with tracked arguments made by Mr. Trump’s legal team in lawsuits over congressional subpoenas to financial firms like Mazars USA for his financial records.

Two Federal District Court judges last month rejected that argument, refusing to block congressional subpoenas to such firms. One wrote that it was because Congress had put forth a valid argument for why it wanted them for legislative purposes and that it was “not for the court to question whether the committee’s actions are truly motivated by political considerations.” Mr. Trump is appealing the rulings.

One might wonder how the court can decline to assess the legitimacy of a Congressional legislative purpose in light of Watkins. My guess: In Watkins the Supreme Court found no legislative purpose was offered at all; in the current case, the Congress is offering a transparently pretextual one and daring the court to laugh out loud (OK, that is my humble editorial opinion).

Of course, the courts are often happy to swallow their whistle when the other two branches slug it out.

BONUS PEDANTRY: The Department of Redundancy Department loves the Times phrasing here:

Mr. Engel’s argument... dovetailed closely with tracked arguments made by Mr. Trump’s legal team".

This online publishing world moves so quickly - who has time to edit? Eventually that will get a correction but not a formal "Correction", being well within any gray/grey area. It took me a week to get this real one. Yeah, I keep score.

Comments

[Narciso79]

Miss taco bell has learned nothing, sigh.

[Buckeye]

I always pick up extra plastic straws when I go to fast food joints.

I bring them home and stick the extras in a "junk" drawer in the kitchen.

It is easy to find. It is the one with the sawed-off shotgun next to it:)

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

--I know I’m insensitive for comparing the Holocaust to Woodstock but many people who claimed to be at either one have been proven to be liars. That’s not anymore denial than exposing a fraud like Michael Mann.--

That may not be but;

"The Hoax of the Twentieth Century
The Case Against the Presumed Extermination of European Jewry"

which is the book I referred to sure sounds, looks and walks like a duck.

[Narciso79]

Like David Irving without the lizards,

[President-Elect Jim,SunnyvaleCA]

Happy Fathers Day, CH.
Wish you were here so I could buy you a beer!

Deplorable Don reports the frothing Dem neighbor who attacked Sen Rand Paul sold his house. Part of the money went to pay his fine. Winning!
https://donsurber.blogspot.com/2019/06/highlights-of-news_16.html

[MissMarple2]

Donald J. Trump
‏Verified account @realDonaldTrump
12m12 minutes ago

Happy Father’s Day to all, including my worst and most vicious critics, of which there are fewer and fewer. This is a FANTASTIC time to be an American! KEEP AMERICA GREAT!

[Jack is Back (Again)!]

Happy Father's Day all.

The reason I didn't say it earlier is that I celebrated Father's Day with Frederick last Sunday, since he is not here with me in Florida but still in Southampton. My bad!

But I did get a nice Redskins BBQ set from Captain Eric, so there's that.

[Narciso79]

Self interest mostly

https://nationalinterest.org/feature/what-explains-ferocity-attack-against-donald-trump-62547

[clarice]

Yes, Iggy, Pin seems to be attracted to Der Sturmer like sites.

As for Father's day, the media has not forgotten:http://www.michellesmirror.com/2019/06/happy-fathers-day.html#.XQZNUS3Mwvp

[Narciso79]

So if one wanted to start with wodehouse where would one begin?

[clarice]

For any Mueller white hat believers still around:https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2019/06/robert_mueller_a_scary_and_mendacious_man.html

[Narciso79]

Do they believe in the Easter bunny, too?

[sbwaters]

At the beginning is a good answer, Narciso:

My Man Jeeves (1919)

I was particularly fond of Jeeves and the Feudal Spirit -- Fascist Roderick Spode, leader of the Black Shorts is reintroduced in it.

[Narciso79]

Thanks sbw

https://www.caracaschronicles.com/2019/06/14/denying-reality/

This is what happend if you give a Cortez any authority

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

Gee, I didn't realize you can actually click on and read that book at unz.com.
You'll never guess who the author uses as his final authority on the hoax of the Final Solution.
Heinrich Himmler. Yes you read that right. Apparently Himmler gave an interview a few weeks before the end of the war as he knew his crimes were surely going to be paid for and so explained that the crematoria were simply for the purpose of incinerating all the bodies of victims of disease. He describes the "lie" of the Holocaust as a noose being tied for them over the crematoria. And if only he hadn't committed "suicide" while in British custody he would have been able to expose the whole scheme at Nuremburg.

The number of Nazis and Germans who claim they weren't at the Holocaust must surely exceed by several times the number of hippies who actually were at Woodstock.

That Unz leaves an obscenity like a Nazi apologist's book on his site is all I ever need to know about good ol self-loathing Ron. Kinda makes me wonder how that qualifies him as a follower of Jesus as well.
The Truth and The Big Lie are mutually exclusive.

[Buckeye]

Happy Fathers Day!

[sbwaters]

... and I think it was in "Code of the Woosters" that Spode was going to beat Wooster into a jelly.

I will defer to Catsmeat on where to start.

Frankly, I leave copies of already read Woosters in the bookrack in the bathroom because one can turn to any page to reread and delight in the dry humor and well-crafted language.

[Narciso79]

Well Amazon sells world defeat, which is the Latin version of the butz track by an author who has thankfully met his maker.

[Captain Hate]

CH, what did Teddy do for you today?

Hasn't bugged me unlike Mrs. H.

[Stephanie Nene Not Your Normal Granma]

Re plastic straws:

I carry them in my pocketbook. I bought 500 in the paper wrapper ones from Amazon. About $6 for them. If you have ever worked in the restaurant biz, you know better than to put your lips to a glass. They barely get cleaned. Our favorite Mex Mex went paper straws, so I whip our straws out there. Our favorite waitress is finally used to it. The straw ban there is idiotic; because, the paper straws come in plastic wrappers!

The minor league stadium (where we go for local baseball (Baby Braves) instead of trekking to the other side of town to see the big boys) stopped both straws and the lids. They sell one of their drink choices in the same size and style as the plastic cups at QT, so I now carry the lids and the straws from QT in my purse.

They will sell you a plastic souvenir cup, but not the accoutrements for it. Stoopit!

The bottom of my purse now has regular straws, QT bigger straws, and QT lids.

They'll be coming for Dixie Cups soon. Rednecks and frat boys the world over might just get a bit verklempt over that. How the hell do you play Beer Pong without Dixie Cups? :)

Whoever corners the straw, lid and Dixie Cup concession will rule the world. I'm looking at you Clarice... add it to your concessions and franchise the straw franchise to me!

People are dumb enough that the pikes and pitchforks are still not selling, but by God, ban their straws and Dixie Cups and they might finally rise up and buy the damn pikes and pitchforks, too.

[clarice]

Heh, CH-smooches

[Narciso79]

And YouTube has his interviews I guess if it's another language it doesn't count.

[Narciso79]

They do put a warning on it, but that's all.

[MissMarple2]

Catturd
‏ @catturd2
22m22 minutes ago

Without busing in union members - there's not a Dem candidate who can draw more than 300 people at a rally.

With two day notice - Trump can sellout a 30,000 capacity event any where in the country - with 1000s outside.

Yet, fake polls have Trump losing by 20 points? LMAO!

[MissMarple2]

Impeach Trump Rally ...SAD 😂 pic.twitter.com/w8g9K4AAzz

— Ruthann (@TeaBoots) June 16, 2019

Video at the link! LOL!

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

--So if one wanted to start with wodehouse where would one begin?--

For me there are three main series of Wodehouse.
The golf stories are often excellent but don't hold my attention much.
That leaves the Psmith cycle.
The Blandings Castle series and;
The Bertie Jeeves triumph.
Psmith is the shortest and least great of the series, though Leave it to Psmith is one of his best.
Blandings is wonderful though I weirdly disagree with Wodehouse himself on what Lord Emsworth should actually look like. He describes him as tall and thin whereas I always envisioned Leo McKern.
Bertie and Jeeves are all great, though some greater than others.
It doesn't really matter where you jump in, IMO. Though he often refers back to previous novels and incidents each book is a standalone plot.
It is interesting to read through the Bertie and Jeeves cycle chronologically to see how they begin just a bit slowly, enter into an amazing golden age of perfection and then settle back into a less than perfect sunset period.
Much like Warner Brothers cartoons, though Wodehouse's golden age was longer and his sunset much more enjoyable.

[Captain Hate]

Am I the only person who could live my life happily without drinking straws, beer and wine consumption aside?

[President-Elect Jim,SunnyvaleCA]

I won't bore with a meal by meal diary, but wanted to mention that I'm starting day-3 of a 2 week experiment with low-carb/keto diet.

I miss lentil soup :)
Other than that, it will be like falling off a log, so simple!

I made 3 salads: green salad, cole slaw and cucumber salad and eat them with dinner and lunch. I love salad. I'm an olive-oil/balsamic guy but I'm also using Ranch with Avocado we bought for the daughter which she doesn't like.
I love grilled meat: steak and chicken so far. The seasoning mix called "Montreal Chicken" is awesome and we also have a tomato based BBQ sauce in the fridge that I'm consuming.
Late in life, I've grown to love veggies. Baby bok choy and cauliflower thus far.
Bacon and eggs (turns out we only had turkey bacon in house but I'll transition to the "good stuff" after that's consumed.
Hot dogs and sausage with no bun but lots of mustard.
I bought a dessert at Costco: dark choco nuggets with pumpkin seeds, coconut and other stuff embedded.
I'm reading labels to learn the carb amounts of packaged foods (sauces, salad dressings, etc)

If I was doing this longer, I'd need to learn some recipes and more food choices but for 2 weeks, this should be easy!

[Buckeye]

CH

I use straws mostly in the car.

They are in the console along with the illegally located concealed carry piece:)

[President-Elect Jim,SunnyvaleCA]

"So if one wanted to start with wodehouse where would one begin?"

A low cost approach is to go to your public library and check out a "Best Hits" type of volume that has a selection of stories.

Vast amount of material to choose from, I'm partial to stories which feature the character Stanley Featherstonehaugh Ukridge.

[President-Elect Jim,SunnyvaleCA]

The talk of Wodehouse inspired me to look up the meaning of "fish slice", which I'd often puzzled over but never researched in the past:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fish_slice_%28kitchen_utensil%29

[Jane]

Good luck Jim! Sounds good!

[Jane]

I was probably 5 the last time I used a straw. Ugh!

[anonamom]

Other than that, it will be like falling off a log, so simple!

Truer words have never been written!

[Rocco]

Friendly's Fribble comes with a great big fat straw which I use to organize my trolling flies for Lake Ontario King Salmon.

[Stephanie Nene Not Your Normal Granma]

If y'all non straw users saw the 2 second dip and swipe used at most places, you would be searching for straws. Just sayin.

Happy Father's Day to all the dads!

[anonamom]

If I was doing this longer, I'd need to learn some recipes and more food choices but for 2 weeks, this should be easy!

Jim, if you want to live long and prosper, you do this for the rest of your days.

And your family should as well.

[Extraneus]

After all this low-carb talk, I've taken a liking to sashimi. Never tried it until recently, and I wasn't a big sushi fan, but there's not much that has a better protein to calorie/fat/carb ratio.

I'm down 14 lbs since March and I'm not trying the high fat idea. I'm actually at the weight I originally targeted, but it seems easy enough to just keep eating like I've been, around 50 carbs/day and as much protein as possible while keeping the calories down.

Tuna steak in fra diavolo sauce with mashed cauliflower tonight, I think.

[Buckeye]

I am the one in our family who has to be extra careful in how I eat to keep my weight under control.

Mrs. Buckeye, Jr., and Buckeyette are blessed with the skinny gene, so they have no challenge at all.

A reasonable compromise is to grill something, have a green veggie or salad, and do baked potatoes or risotto.

I just skip the starch. No biggie.

[Jack is Back (Again)!]

In re Wodehouse, I’d start with Psmith and Piccadilly Jim since they precede the Wooster (Jeeves) series. He also wrote many wonderful short stories on golf (featuring The Oldest Member), and cricket. Cricket also features in Psmith.

[Captain Hate]

Protesters in Hong Kong over 2 million. The desire for freedom is a powerful motivator.

[MissMarple2]

https://humanevents.com/2019/06/15/principled-rightists-have-actually-forgotten-what-the-principles-are/?utm_referrer=https%3A%2F%2Ft.co%2FOCzzG84NDX

[Captain Hate]

I think Teddy Roosevelt is a lot like The Donald in that he was a toff who had dealings with all strata of society, had first-hand knowledge of the practical world, and had a deep appreciation for the working man and woman.
Posted by: All Hail Eris, She-Wolf of the 'Ettes 'Ettes at June 16, 2019 11:32 AM (kQs4Y)

The Horde book thread has lots of comments about how the story of Jim Jones has been memory holed to protect the libs including current sitting pols.

[MissMarple2]

Check out this thread by Julie Kelly, in which we find that the Washingon Free Beacon had hired Fusion GPS to dig up dirt on Trump and retained them until Inauguration Day.

The Washington Free Beacon's editor, Matthew Continetti, is Bill Kristol's son-in-law. (As you all know, I am highly suspicious of Bill Kristol.)

https://twitter.com/julie_kelly2/status/1139927806140456960

ALSO, be sure you read all of the comments to this thread. There is new information in those comments!

[MissMarple2]

I knew they would take the bait!

https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/448783-trump-rips-horrible-new-york-times-washington-post-wonders-if-people?rnd=1560697902

[clarice]

I read earlier that the Free beacon ceased that relationship once Trump won the nomination.

[MissMarple2]

Lost power!

[MissMarple2]

clarice,

They left that impression in their public statements but Kelly says it wasn't true.

[clarice]

I think it's possible that they engaged them for other investigative work after the nomination period. I think Julie's pushing it and the Beacon had nothing to do with the dossier, as they've already said.

[Captain Hate]

Yes it was pretty well known that the Free Beacon started work on the Dossier but dropped out well before it reached Sid Vicious fantasy levels.

[lyle]

Wine comment. Feel free to SOB.

Last night was the 2000 vintage Bordeaux dinner. Lafite, Margaux, Latour, VCC, Ducru, and Leoville Poyferre. Nine people and we tasted them blind. It was a lot of fun although one couple was in a bit above their heads wine-wise. They were the ones most put off by the sommelier/manager of the top steakhouse in town who was invited. The two other couples who had bought the wine at the auction in April were eating up with a spoon his running commentary about Right/Left bank appellations. I was sipping and marveling in the kitchen. I guessed correctly the Margaux but whiffed on the other five. All were showing magnificently.

The morel and roasted garlic cream sauce was fabulous with the pork. There wasn’t a morsel of food left. Not. A. Morsel.

Did I mention the four bottles of 2000 champagne to start the evening? (Dom and smaller producer I was unfamiliar with but according to the somm, it was disgorged after eight years on the lees. Molto sensuale.)

Dinner by the pool with perfect weather. Incredibly generous of the two couples to spend four grand on the vino.

::chef’s kiss:: 😉

[lyle]

Now off to read Pieces. Ciao.

[Buckeye]

I don't think Chile will be the pushover Thailand was.

[Jack is Back (Again)!]

Yeah, 2000 was a great year for Bordeaux. I think Parker rated a 98.

I have 4 cases of VCC and Pontet Canet. Plus one from Cantermerle.

[lyle]

I’m not completely familiar with this Kee Toe biz despite all the running commentary here, but I’d guess last night’s dinner didn’t exactly conform...

The grilled bread with Boursin and veggies vinaigrette certainly would not. Perhaps the tuna tartare?

[Buckeye]

The tuna tartare would be just fine Lyle.

[Jane]

Lyle,

Any pinot noir recommendations (that don't cost a million bucks)?

USA up 2 against Chile in FIFA.

[Captain Hate]

The WFB now has to respond to what Kelly stated more than just a blanket denial. Otherwise they'll get lumped in rightly or otherwise.

[Catsmeat]

Happy Father's Day, everyone--especially fathers--and I know we have some devoted ones here.

Narc, thanks for the TLS link to the essay on Danilo Kis--another person I haven't read! As for where to start with Wodehouse, all these suggestions have merit, but I would personally think starting with a complete masterpiece like Code of the Woosters (a Bertie/Jeeves novel) will let you know if you want more or not. I so hope you do! He wrote so much you'll never run out. I also adore the Psmith novels--a terrific character. My favorite is the pig saga of the Blandings Castle series--and I agree that the Earl should be fat, like his pig!

Clarice, loved the Siena fresco--and the Khan Academy is pretty amazing.

[lyle]

I’m a Burgundy Pinot guy primarily, Jane. Drouhin, Louis Latour, and number of bigger domains put out village cru for ~$20. Anything in that range for domestic Pinot I’d steer clear of.

[President-Elect Jim,SunnyvaleCA]

A joy to read your descriptions, Lyle!

[Stephanie Nene Not Your Normal Granma]

In keeping with the keto theme, a nice FitVine. :)

Don't shoot me, lyle.

When I drink wine, I like the stuff from 9 Hands winery. Their Hot to Trot series - red and white - are a nice blend.

[lyle]

Thanks, Jim.

What’s FitVine, Steph? 😉

[lyle]

We only had one casualty in the form a broken wine glass. Oh, and one of the gals had to lie down for a bit...

[clarice]

catsmeat, I was searching for perhaps a diptych of the Sienna good and bad govt fresco and came across the Khan Academy site and thought is was so illuminating I had to link it. It's like being in the room itself and such a clear explanation!

[sbwaters]

and do baked potatoes or risotto.

Please, not at the same time as the carbs. Do them an hour before or after.

To eat them at the same time turns on the “Treat everything as carbs and store the calories as fat” switch.

[clarice]

In Keto terms, last night I had a no carb Bahai Bob's mai tai, fried flounder with chimichura sauce, sauteed grape tomatoes with garlic and basil and for desert a slice of David's cookies lo carb cheesecake. Not bad. Getting the hang of it. I could not stick with anything where there was little variety.

[sbwaters]

Doh! Eat the protein separate from carbs.

[Jack is Back (Again)!]

Getting back to "Plum", if you want a short introduction to his impish humor and satirical construct there is none better than "The Swoop". If you know of any British political history pre-WW1 then you will really enjoy his plotting.

But even if you don't know the actual characters that he bases most of his cast of fools on you will still enjoy the subtle comedy of affairs of men. It wasn't even published in the USA until 4 years after his death. But it had been published in Vanity Fair in two consecutive months back in early 1900's.

[Buckeye]

sbw

I guess i didn't make it clear that I don't eat the taters or rice at all.

I think everyone else in the family is incapable of storing fat:)

[Buckeye]

Chile's goalie is talented and she has a big arm span.

[Marlene]

Happy Father's Day! I'm sitting on the porch,listening to hubby and the dog snoring. They are both sound asleep in their favorite spots,so all is well. :)

[Captain Hate]

Damn, I just saw where flooding has inundated Grandpa's Cheese Barn in Ashland where we sometimes stop after being around Buckeye's and Ann's neck of the woods.

[Stephanie Nene Not Your Normal Granma]

Is all of MLB wearing blue to celebrate Father's Day? The Bravos are sporting Carolina Blue hats and sleeves.

That's going to set the SJWs off, fersure!

[Jane]

Thanks Lyle!

[Stephanie Nene Not Your Normal Granma]

Anyone have any preferences for replacing Sarah "WonderWoman" Sanders?

How bout Mike Huckabee? Dennis Miller? Tammy Bruce?

[Threadkiller]

New Thread

[Catsmeat]

Yes, "The Swoop" is a great parody of what then was a huge fad, invasion literature (started with The Battle of Dorking, 1871). England was not in fact being irrational when it worried about invasions--and about the fact that if they lost their raw exports from the colonies, say, cotton from India, they would lose much of their power. And as we know the Kaiser planned to invade (as of course did Hitler) but wasn't able to make it happen.

[President-Elect Jim,SunnyvaleCA]

new

[Jane]

"Anyone have any preferences for replacing Sarah "WonderWoman" Sanders?"

Candace Owens