The Defendant

[H2O Man]

" 'My country, right or wrong,' is a thing that no patriot would think of saying except in a desperate case. It is like saying, 'My mother, drunk or sober'."
-- G.K. Chesterton, The Defendant


The defendant is known for calling his opponents by insulting nicknames. From Jeb Bush in the 2016 republican primaries, to his recent attempts to come up with one for Ron DeSantis, he tries to belittle others in this way.

Last night, while watching MSNBC, I was delighted to hear retired prosecutors calling him "the defendant." It is more powerful than any of the nicknames he gave to others. I think that Mr. Chesterton would have agreed. (Note: if anyone here can name the title of the unreleased film of Chesterton and George Bernard Shaw, I would invite you to be on my team in any game of Trivial Pursuit.)

There are what appear to be functioning human beings saying, "The defendant, guilty or not guilty." One can only speculate on if their mothers were drunk or sober while pregnant. However, I am confident that we can agree that these people are desperate cases.

I'd like to return to the former prosecutors interviewed on MSNBC. As a group, they are of superior minds than those found on other media sources. Thus, we do well to listen closely to them, as opposed to some of the hand-wringers found elsewhere who question the strength of D.A. Bragg's case.

The defendants' legal team continues to focus on two weak points. First, that Michael Cohen is a convicted liar. While true, this was exclusively when Cohen lied to protect the defendant. Bragg is not going to base his case on what Cohen says, alone. It will include documents that prove what he testifies to. Plus, there is more evidence to prove the case. Much more.

Second, they claim the case is "political." No shit. It involves the crimes a politician committed to further his campaign. It is indeed "political," in the exact same manner as Watergate was "political." It's no coincidence that both Nixon and the defendant had held the office of the president -- which is political.

Based upon the evidence the DA has -- witnesses and documentation -- the defendant will be convicted. The defendants' legal team is aware of this. Their only hope is that an appelate court will interfere. The jury will convict.

Two things that are important. First, the first pre-trial hearing is scheduled to take place months from now. We know the defendant wants to delay as long as possible. Worry not. There will be other indictments between now and then. The synergy of legal problems will knee-cap the defendant's 2024 campaign.

Second, regarding a gag order ..... last night there was an interesting discussion here about exactly what the judge said to the defendant regarding his verbal diarrhea. As I like and respect both of the two, I did not post on that thread. But the most often quoted part of what the judge said indeed applied to the defendant and all of the lawyers involved. It was the less quoted part, just before, where he spoke specifically to the defendant.

Gag order processes in state courts differ from each other, and obviously federal cases. It appears that the judge was making a record that will support a gag order if the defendant continues to splatter.

Things are good. Trust the process, and those on the side of truth and justice.

[niyad]

1. the lost cowboy film?

[H2O Man]

2. You are officially

on the team!

I should know better than to think people on DU would not know the obscure.

[niyad]

3. I am in constant awe of the depth and breadth of knowledge of our DU

Last edited Wed Apr 5, 2023, 02:12 PM - Edit history (1)

members. It is like getting a university education, but without the crippling and obscene debt. Plus we have fun.

[SheilaAnn]

5. There is not a day that goes by I don't learn something new on DU, and I'm almost 83!..n/t

[niyad]

7. Learning new things helps keep the brain going, so we are in luck! DU is a

medical miracle, without the side effects!

[SheilaAnn]

8. I so agree.. n/t

[H2O Man]

9. I was impressed

yesterday with how many of our good friends here remembered Burroughs and the beatniks. This is a great place.

[panader0]

17. I've read everything I could about and by the beats, Kerouac, Ginsberg, Ferlinghetti, Gary Snyder,

Burroughs, 'Baby Driver' by Jan Kerouac (Jack's daughter) and more. Ann Charters' fine biography of
Kerouac. Listened to all the Charlie Parker and bebop jazz--back as a teen. I loved it all.

[Just A Box Of Rain]

25. I had the great pleasure to know the poet David Gitin, who was part of the whole SF scene.

He was friends with Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Gary Snyder, Michael McClure, and many more.

He was there at City Light when Ginsberg read Howl.

David was part of the Straight Theatre and he helped put on the 1966 show there by the Grateful Dead, who were all friends of his, and other ballroom shows of the era.

David was a huge jazz fan (as am I) and Dylan, and the Dead (as am I) and he was a DJ in Monterey CA as a side-gig from his teaching at Monterey Peninsula College.

We spend many nights together listen to music, hanging out, and with me taking in the fascinating stories he had to tell.

Great guy. Now of memory (but not forgotten).

[H2O Man]

33. Nice!

[Saoirse9]

4. I haven't seen as much about the news

as I thought I would want to. At some point I simply lost interest! I know I know this is when I should be paying attention.

But I have seen all the photos of a very subdued TFG sitting in the courtroom as if he was sitting before Vladimir Putin.

He looked small and scared. Same expression in his face as he had in Helsinki with pooty.

And it made me realize he’s a complete coward in front of a judge or in front of pooty. In front of cameras on his own turf suddenly he’s brave enough to call the judge names. Is orange the color for cowards? I know it is in Ireland.

Now I thought it was interesting that Bragg didn’t get real specific about some of the charges. Do you think maybe he doesn’t want to show his hand, or is saving the best for last?

My big case, the one I am anxiously awaiting, is the MAL documents case. I think there’s no way he would’ve deliberately withheld some documents unless he had sold or intended to sell them to our enemies. If Jack Smith can prove that TFG will never see the light of day again.

That case of the many pending cases is the most dangerous and to my mind anyway easiest to prove.

Because you know that venal mother fucker was selling us to the highest bidder. Of course he was.

[H2O Man]

11. D.A. Bragg

and his team are outstanding prosecutors. They have much more than is revealed in the indictment. This includes evidence that was uncovered since Mr. Bragg took office.

The defendant's face and behavior -- including his whiny "address to the nation" when he returned home -- are telling. Keep in mind that as a sociopath, the defendant has many of the Cluster B personality disorder features. Key here is the defendant's severe narcissism. His two worst fears are being charged as a criminal, and being humiliated publicly. These combined yesterday.

The defendant had begged his supporters to show up to demonstrate for him. Consider the almost total lack of response on their part. As the defendant got out of his vehicle to enter the DA's office, he looked for a crowd, but only saw journalists. His wave was as limp as Stormy D suggests other physical features were.

The defendant's legal team per the documents has informed him that Mr. Smith has recently uncovered more evidence of his obstruction. Thus, the defendant is aware of what awaits him this summer. He is in deep trouble, and there is no way out.

[Saoirse9]

14. Great explanation

I wasn’t surprised when hardly anyone showed up in Manhattan. Long before he ran for President he was universally hated there. Now? I can’t imagine you would be able to find more than 5 or 10 people willing to protest for him. The crazy ones.

[H2O Man]

34. The "welcome" that MTG

got was hilarious, too. How could she possibly think that there would be a turn out of supporters?

[malaise]

43. And there is no way out for this monster

Link to tweet

/photo/1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1643782413636497410%7Ctwgr%5Ea4d4acfa7a73daf914784430c3e0d0115f245834%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.democraticunderground.com%2F100217798992

[H2O Man]

45. A trapped rat.

There is no way out of this for him. No one else he can blame.

I love that courtroom drawing.

[Walleye]

6. I think, as a rule, prosecutors don't show their whole case to get an indictment

[H2O Man]

12. Exactly.

That is such an important point. It cannot be stressed enough.

Thank you.

[Beetwasher.]

10. The Statement of Facts is Likewise INCREDIBLY Encouraging with it's Allusions to a Scheme

To influence an election. I believe there are still sealed indictments in NY. It will not surprise me in the least if these other indictments are being strategically held back for the moment while others get their ducks in a row. It will be interesting if the GA and Federal indictments also use the same language about a”scheme to Influence/Overturn an election”. Perhaps an overarching connected theme linking multiple local, state and federal indictments. Perhaps one might say it was a network of organized crime, that is covered by RICO.

I’m also curious if Bragg’s team stumbled upon any other interesting tidbits while poking around Trumps ledger that we’ve yet to hear about.

[H2O Man]

21. I had just finished

a long response, when BANG! Out went the internet, phone, and electric. It's coming back on now.

It is likely that Bragg's team found more than we know. And that the prosecutors at all levels are in communication.

[Hekate]

13. Delicious. Thank you.

[H2O Man]

22. Thank you!

I noted that Ivanka was not among the family cluster gathered to support the defendant when he spoke last night. This is important. I'm not attributing anything good to her. But she was/is his favorite child -- he hasn't spoke publicly about wanting to have sex with Eric or Jr., for example. Her parting ways with him adds to the pressure he is under.

[bahboo]

15. this is just a great post....

insightful, incisive and thought provoking. One of the reasons I spend an inordinate amount of time here....

[H2O Man]

23. Thanks!

Much appreciated!

[grantcart]

16. The only thing stupider than "My mother drunk or sober' was when his attorney said yesterday

"He was holding an AMERICAN MADE bat, he wasn't threatening Bragg, he was promoting the export of American made bats".

Google it, it is their actual defense of the now famous picture.

You laugh, you cry, more laughing and crying and then you make sure there are no sharp instruments near by.

[H2O Man]

24. That was hilarious

and tragic at the same time. Hard to believe that was the best they could come up with ...... but at the same time, there aren't many options when the truth is so obvious. Yet I was stunned, and had to listen to it twice to be certain that he said that.

On one hand, I feel bad for anyone who represents him. On the other hand, they deserve what they get.

[Kid Berwyn]

18. Got a nice ring to it.

History.

Great essay, H2O Man! Things are only going to more ah interesting from here on out. May The Defendant keep his critical faculties long enough to realize he’s going to be locked up for a long time.

[H2O Man]

28. History!

Twice impeached. Indicted on 34 counts thus far. More to come!

From his behaviors yesterday, I think he knows he is in deep shit.

[Kid Berwyn]

39. Absolute shock upon having to open his own door.

Seemed like it was the first time he actually understood he was no better than anyone else.



What Trump's Body Language At His Arraignment Hearing Said

Brittany Wong
HuffPost, April 5, 2023

Excerpt…

Blanca Cobb, a body language expert and speaker, suggested that this might be the moment the trial became real for Trump.

“If you watch the clip, you see no one holds open the door for Trump,” she said. “Regardless of political affiliation, most people would agree that a president of the United States should be treated with respect. What a fall from grace for any president.”

Brown noticed a certain sadness, too.

“I’ve never seen anything like this before from him,” she said. “It’s evidenced quickly by his eyebrows tilting up above his nose. It’s a sad look that indicates a loss.”

“We don’t know what that is, but the list of possibilities [includes] reputation, money, status and power,” Brown said. “It doesn’t last long, though, and he goes back to his angry scowl.”

Continues…

https://www.yahoo.com/news/trumps-body-language-arraignment-hearing-001013494.html

About the endangered door…

https://www.thepoke.co.uk/2023/04/05/trump-door-closed-face/

[H2O Man]

40. That was beautiful!

Something the defendant isn't used to! I could watch that clip a thousand times!

[NeoGreen]

19. Your opening quote...

...reminds me of one of my favorite quotes:

“But you know as well as I, patriotism is a word; and one that generally comes to mean either: ‘my country, right or wrong’, which is infamous; or ‘my country is always right’, which is imbecile.”
By Patrick O'Brian in Master and Commander

It seems to me that the Party that has rushed to defend The Defendant, has fallen into a state of infamous imbecility.

[H2O Man]

29. A gaggle of cowards.

I've never been posutively impressed with the republican party. I've known a few over the decades that I liked okay, and known of a few in FC that I thought were decent, if misguided. But today's republicans are such a batch of low-lifes.

They know the defendant is a criminal. Some don't care, because they are criminal by nature. But a lot of them are too afraid to be honest when speaking publicly.

O'Brian! Born in England, died in Ireland, buried in France.

[Me.]

20. KR

[H2O Man]

30. Thank you!

[malaise]

26. Another great OP WaterMan

[H2O Man]

31. I still love "Slobfather."

But I think "the defendant" has national potential. I loved hearing a number of top federal prosecutors calling him that!

[malaise]

41. I'll combine them because this defendant is a fascist mob boss

Slobfather the Defendant😀😀

[H2O Man]

46. That's it!

That's him!

[dalton99a]

27. Kick

[H2O Man]

32. Thanks!

[ismnotwasm]

35. I giggled at the thought at him having to plead "not-guilty"

Like…literally. Because finally, he had to acknowledge that the law does apply

[H2O Man]

36. Right.

He knew how to behave in court. I like that he had to answer a few questions, especially that one! And the pictures of him there show his fear and also his frustration from not being "in charge."

[CaliforniaPeggy]

37. Thank you for your excellent post, my dear H20 Man.

I especially identify with this sentence:

Things are good. Trust the process, and those on the side of truth and justice.

[H2O Man]

38. Thank you!

I figure that I am the grumpiest person on DU, and I'm satisfied with the way the cases against the defndant are going. If an old, flint-hard reprobate like me is satisfied, everyone should be.

[spanone]

42. K&R

"Things are good. Trust the process, and those on the side of truth and justice."

YES!

[H2O Man]

47. I liked that

Judge Merchan gave the defendant the "Parker" warning. The judge made clear that the defendant has to behave.

[kentuck]

44. The "Defendant" sounds so much more fitting....

...than TFG.

[H2O Man]

48. Right!

If we hear "The Fugitive," those my age think immediately of David Jannsen playing Dr. Richard Kimble in the 1960s television series. Younger people think of Harrison Ford playing Kimble in the 1993 movie. But when we hear "the defendant," everyone will know exactly whom we speak of.

[kentuck]

49. His supporters cry out, "How could you do this to our President!?"

His detractors say, "How could he do this to the laws of our country?"