Joel, but the best

@thebestjoel.bsky.social

Posts

You know, I could write something useful and interesting here. I could use a bunch of single word declarative labels… something like, “Djinn. Jokester. Joel.” Or some such. But instead, I think I’ll just leave this space blank.

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According to NBC News this is a draft of the 2024 GOP platform that's been released by the Trump campaign. It's basically a Trump rally speech turned into an all caps list of vague promises. The connecting glue of the statement is "we are the real Americans, our enemies are not."

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Joel, but the best

Outside observers at the Republican National Convention in 1980 found the very visible, far right and conspiratorial elements of it "scary." Many journalists wondered to each other, as they listened to the crowd sing God Bless America, "if they believe this is our country too."

The 2024 RNC this week will feature a parade of theocrats, conspiracy theorists, quasi-fascists, and con men. I'm writing about one such person who fits all of those bills, Walter Huss of Oregon, who was a very eager **Reagan delegate in 1980.** North Adams [MA} Transcript, 1 August 1980.

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Joel, but the best

a political party loses elections to this

The governors of a dozen Republican-led states — AL, AK, FL, GA, IA, MS, OK, SC, SD, TX, UT, WY — opted out of a new federal food assistance program, leaving about 9.5 million students without the aid this summer

Republican-led states are blocking summer food benefits for hungry familieswww.usatoday.com Money for food is especially tight for families in a dozen states where Republican lawmakers declined to accept federal food assistance.

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Joel, but the best

folks… we are juiceless we have lost the juice how could we lose out to Threads of all places on bullying the Times

Wow. @nytimes.com has closed their Threads account and left the platform after days of getting just shredded in the replies for their handling of Biden post debate. Now they're getting dog piled on Instagram for running from Threads.

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Joel, but the best

I know they get rolled all the time but for the Times to get rolled by “actually they just want to reclaim the values of Western civilization as they see it … with larger families and fewer immigrants” is the Times putting the 14 words in the paper

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Joel, but the best

When the France election results are good

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Joel, but the best

Ouch

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Joel, but the best

holy shit I just realised that the US election is on Guy Fawkes Day

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Joel, but the best

Watching the British election returns I feel compelled to point out that the 650 person House of Commons represents 67 million people and the 435 person House of Representatives in the United States represents 333 million. Replace the Permanent Apportionment Act of 1929. We deserve representation.

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Joel, but the best

Reply to

Chris Wilhelm

On July 4, we worship America by traumatizing all the local dogs and keeping the neighbors awake

Reskeet (really?) with a tweet you still think about

reskeet with a tweet you still think about

Someone call Mayor Pete the Amtrak booking site isn’t working

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Joel, but the best

Honestly still in shock that the most crooked American President in history said "I need immunity" and the GOP Supreme Court said "well, it's nowhere in the constitution, but sure, why not? Whats the worst that could happen?"

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Joel, but the best

idk it just seems to me that laws, like tech, should be created with the question "what would the worst person i know be able to do with this power" in mind and it's truly incredible how much this opinion fails at that basic task

John Roberts must be the most neurotypical person in existence because the immunity ruling reads like someone who has never had a single “but what if…???” anxiety spiral in his life

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Joel, but the best

I once made a show about power with @hugorifkind.bsky.social and my favourite question was “what’s the worst thing you could do if you were evil?”. A former Lord Chief Justice reckoned he could rig Supreme Court cases by carefully assigning judges.

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Joel, but the best

Brett Kavanaugh, Clinton-Lewinsky inquisitor, 1998: Bill Clinton is guilty of disgrace for making "frivolous privilege claims" at the Supreme Court

Let’s not forget Brett Kavanaugh was a lead attorney on Ken Starr’s independent counsel team (the office which Scalia decried in Morrison) and complained bitterly internally (see below) they weren’t doing enough to prosecute Bill Clinton for perjury

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Joel, but the best

Heritage: it will remain bloodless so long as the libs agree to take cyanide.

Heritage Foundation president celebrates Supreme Court presidential immunity ruling: "We are in the process of the second American Revolution, which will remain bloodless if the left allows it to be" www.mediamatters.org/project-2025...

Heritage Foundation president celebrates Supreme Court immunity decision: "We are in the process of the second American Revolution"www.mediamatters.org

But first, beer

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Joel, but the best

I am reading Hannah Arendt right now and she makes this point. Over and over. With a freakin hammer. There are a LOT OF PEOPLE in the world very eager to pick a group and blame it for their problems, esp when they don't have a strong grasp of where those problems really come from.

Everyone is always afraid to say why people like Trump or Marie Le Pen have some level of popularity and it’s just that there’s a lot of people in the world who believe in racism. You end up with these goofy ass explanations for Trump where it’s NAFTA or shit and it’s like no you know what it is

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Joel, but the best

Hey so…we are in the middle of a far right coup and the far right is telling you they are going to continue and if we try to stop them they will resort to open violence.This is cartoonish and people need to push these fascist now. Not tomorrow not next week we need massive protests and direct action

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Joel, but the best

Must be nice to have choices

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Joel, but the best

"Whether it be bribery, fraud, assassination, or a coup, the president is entitled to immunity for all offenses committed during working hours Monday through Friday."

Supreme Court Rules Trump Has Immunity For Any Crime Committed Between 9 And 5www.theonion.com WASHINGTON—In a partial victory for the former president, the Supreme Court ruled this week that Donald Trump has immunity for any crime committed between the hours of 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. during his tim...

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Joel, but the best

A decision of surpassing recklessness in dangerous times, with @qjurecic.bsky.social: www.lawfaremedia.org/article/a-de...

A Decision of Surpassing Recklessness in Dangerous Timeswww.lawfaremedia.org The Supreme Court’s decision in Trump v. United States would have been wrong and dangerous at any time. It’s uncommonly so with Trump poised to retake power.

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Joel, but the best

If Biden does drop out, I'm looking forward to the flawless media pivot from "Why won't Biden drop out?" to running endless "Dems in disarray!" type stories for months on end.

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Joel, but the best

Look, I'm willing to try anything at this point.

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Joel, but the best

If Trump were to personally shoot someone on Fifth Avenue: Not immune. (Probably. Maybe.) If he were to order the army to massacre thousands on Fifth Avenue: Immune. (Very clearly, under the decision.) But from a constitutional perspective, the latter is the grave danger to guard against.

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Joel, but the best

Reply to

Popehat

Would it be about accurate to say that the immunity decision still allows Prez actions to be struck down as illegal/unconstitutional, but OTOH POTUS could just have those judges killed?

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Joel, but the best

Reply to

Popehat

Coming soon: "Judge Cannon, the only reason the defendant had access to these documents in the first place is that he was acting in his official capacity as President of the US, therefore he is immune from prosecution for anything arising from those actions after leaving office."

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Joel, but the best

Right-wing legal talking heads are focusing on arguing that it is RIDICULOUS to say that a second-term Trump will be empowered by immunity to do horrific things, while carefully preparing to argue in seven months that it is RIGHT that Trump do horrific things which aren’t actually horrific anyway.

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Joel, but the best

along similar lines, has anyone actually explained *why* the seal team six hypo is ruled out by the majority opinion? all I've seen is right-leaning law profs mocking everyone who raises the issue. but nobody has explained why a president wouldn't be immune for assassinating a rival

Checking on prominent originalists on the other site, I can't find one who has criticized yesterday's anti-textualist immunity opinion. All have tweeted on other topics. Here are the reactions: Mocks dissent: Barnett Silence: Baude, Green, McGinnis, Rappaport, Sachs, Whittington