Althouse: At the Thursday Night Café…

March 28, 2024

At the Thursday Night Café…

… you can talk about whatever you want

48 comments:

rhhardin said...: A stopped black box data recorder is right twice a day.; 3/28/24, 8:11 PM
MadTownGuy said...: Judge grants rare Jan. 6 prisoner release in rebuke of DOJ warnings

"A Washington, D.C., judge granted a request by a Jan. 6 riot defendant to be released from prison pending his appeal, a decision that directly rebuked Justice Department prosecutors’ claims that he posed a “heightened danger” during an election year.

U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden, an appointee of former President Donald Trump, granted the request from convicted Confederate flag-wielding Jan. 6 defendant Kevin Seefried to be released from prison pending his appeal, writing in an 11-page order that prosecutors failed to prove a suggestion that he poses a threat or that “events that led to the riot are reasonably likely to recur.”

Seefried was sentenced to three years in prison last February after he was charged with obstructing an official proceeding and four trespassing and disorderly conduct misdemeanors, which altogether amount to a potential 23-year prison sentence.

Following his conviction, Seefried appealed the verdict and moved for his release from prison pending appeal. His request came not long before the Supreme Court agreed to take up a Jan. 6 defendant’s case known as Fischer v. United States, which is challenging the way the obstruction statute 18 U.S.C. § 1512(c) is properly applied to hundreds of Jan. 6 defendants facing charges for violating it.

When the Supreme Court agreed to take up the Fischer case in December and schedule oral arguments in the dispute for April 16, the judge said Seefried’s issue was “again alive” and that his felony conviction could be vacated depending on how the justices rule in the case.

McFadden’s decision was a swift rejection of allegations made by U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves, who wrote on Jan. 8 that granting Seefried’s request would be “releasing defendant into the same political maelstrom that led him to commit his crimes in the first place.”

[snip]

McFadden countered on Wednesday that the law demands Seefried must be released because he satisfied two key prongs, including showing he is “not likely to flee or pose a danger to … the community if released” and that the government failed to prove the defendant is “likely to reoffend.”

The judge doubled down against the Justice Department‘s “fact-free approach” to reviewing Seefried’s request and accused the government of a “class-based” approach.

“People who have already gone to prison, as a class, cannot be released. January 6th defendants, as a class, cannot be released during an election year,” McFadden wrote. “In the end, if specific facts about Seefried lead the Government to believe that he is imminently likely to engage in criminal conduct, options remain open to the Government.”

McFadden’s approval of Seefried’s request marks a rare occurrence where a Washington, D.C., judge has sided with a defendant seeking to alter the terms of their sentence, or possibly remain free on appeal, while the Supreme Court is preparing to take on the Fischer case.

The judge said that the date of his release would be one year from the date he surrendered to the Bureau of Prisons, which was May 31, 2023.

[snip]

The DOJ has brought the obstruction charge against more than 332 defendants in the sweeping federal prosecutions it has pursued since the violence at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, when a riot formed at the complex out of anger and frustration during Biden’s election certification. At least four members of the Proud Boys and even Trump have also been charged with obstruction of an official proceeding, meaning the high court’s eventual decision could affect these cases as well.

If the Supreme Court sides with the defendant and discards the obstruction charge, hundreds of Jan. 6 defendants could appeal their convictions and shave years off their sentences. Some are facing the prospect of years behind bars."; 3/28/24, 8:36 PM
Kakistocracy said...: Diddy is one of the few Americans who can truly claim he was better off four years ago than he is today.; 3/28/24, 8:40 PM
Rusty said...: Dave Portnoy raised 1.5 million dollars for a slain NYPD officer. Stand up guy.; 3/28/24, 8:43 PM
Iman said...: Clemson - Arizona was a good game this evening!; 3/28/24, 9:01 PM
Rusty said...: DJT traded as high as 78$ a share. Analysts thought it would trade at 14-17$ a share.
Good on ya pal.; 3/28/24, 9:28 PM
Jupiter said...: OK. What if racism is true? Suppose the reason Detroit used to be one of the most prosperous communities in North America -- and therefore, in the world -- and it is now a stone shithole, is that the white people who ran the place lacked the desire, or perhaps, the will, or the courage, but in any case, the ability, to keep negroes from totally fucking the place up. Is that absolutely impossible? On the contrary, to me it seems to be unavoidably true. It is fucking obvious, Jack. The jigs moved in, the jigs are habitually criminal, the jigs rioted, the whites left, the former paradise is now a shithole. That model of the recent history of Detroit is certainly racist. There would be no way to state it without reference to race, and so it is undeniably racist. But anyone can see that it's true.

So what's the plan? Just keep building cities, and flee when the jigs arrive? Let them rob, terrorize, dispossess and kill the less nimble of our race? That's what you mean when you say the word "virtuous"? I'm virtuous, because I abandon the baby to the wolves?; 3/28/24, 10:18 PM
Jupiter said...: Hamlet thought the question was, take arms against a sea of troubles, and by opposing, to say we end them. Or, to sleep. Perchance to dream. It never occurred to him that there might be a third option; toss some of the weaker members of your tribe to the invading orcs, to distract them while you sit in the ruins of the palace your fathers built, strumming your zither and watching TV. If you use earbuds, you won't hear the screams of the victims. Much. If you pull on that thing in your lap, you'll receive a jolt of dopamine!

So, the dilemma is easily resolved. Poor Hamlet just lacked imagination. I'll admit, Shakespeare would have phrased it better.; 3/28/24, 10:33 PM
Drago said...: I love Love LOVE how the entire LLR-democratical Brigade (Chuck, Rich, lonejustice) and the desperate wanna be's like gadfly along with the buffoonish mutaman and Dumb Lefty Mark types are just beside themselves with how the lawfare is failing and how their lefty political/financial "victories" against Trump are turned on their heads.

All on top of declaring SpaceX, X, Tesla etc failures!

Our New Soviet Democraticals are going to be intensive therapy unless the combined GOPe/dem/deep state team can pull off their removal of Trump from the campaign via, since lawfare is failing, throwing the House to the dems and passing insurrection legislation in the House and having Schumer and McConnell collude to pass it in the Senate and John Roberts convincing Barrett and/or Kavanaugh go along with the un-Republic-ing of the nation.

Which I still believe will indeed happen.; 3/28/24, 10:56 PM
Iman said...: You don’t get out much, Rich. Get out of your mom’s basement and buy a clue!; 3/28/24, 10:57 PM
Jaq said...: "Diddy is one of the few Americans who can truly claim he was better off four years ago than he is today."

Yes, all the Door Dash driver needs to do is look at his stock portfolio, right? The money that we are printing has to go somewhere, and it's not going into the productive economy, it's going straight into inflating stock prices. Woo hoo! It's cargo cult economics!

And not to worry, even though we are *losing* full time jobs, we are more than making it up with part time jobs, and everybody knows that three jobs is better than one!

https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/philadelphia-fed-admits-us-payrolls-overstated-least-800000; 3/28/24, 11:19 PM
Big Mike said...: @Iman, Illinois - Iowa State was a heck of a game, too.; 3/28/24, 11:44 PM
Crazy World said...: Bought 6 DJT stocks today, never bought one on my own outside of 401k automatic investments. Love it.; 3/28/24, 11:45 PM
wendybar said...: Rich said...
Diddy is one of the few Americans who can truly claim he was better off four years ago than he is today.

3/28/24, 8:40 PM

But too bad for Diddy that he hated Trump and was in bed with Clinton, Obama and Biden. Sleep with dogs..end up with fleas....; 3/29/24, 3:48 AM
wendybar said...: "To paraphrase another former president, John F. Kennedy, Biden asks what the country can do for him while Trump asks what he can do for the country. The latter is a leader. The former is a leech."

SCREW your illegal alien and CRIMINALS taking over the streets problems, you have to supply police protection for rich elites to celebrate the fundamental transformation of America into the Ghetto, Hussein only dreamed about with his communist father....

https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2024/03/two_presidents_one_city_and_one_big_difference.html; 3/29/24, 5:01 AM
BUMBLE BEE said...: OOPSIE!
Leaking solar panels will save the earth?

https://legalinsurrection.com/2024/03/its-hailing-on-the-climate-crisis-green-energy-parade/; 3/29/24, 5:43 AM
BUMBLE BEE said...: SBF parents, or partners in crime?
Discuss.; 3/29/24, 5:45 AM
Kakistocracy said...: "A Washington, D.C., judge granted a request by a Jan. 6 riot defendant to be released from prison pending his appeal, a decision that directly rebuked Justice Department prosecutors’ claims that he posed a “heightened danger” during an election year."

Did Judge Trevor McFadden have any comments about the officers injured or killed at the Capitol on January 6?; 3/29/24, 5:59 AM
lonejustice said...: Great quote from Scott Adams earlier this week:

"Allow me to put a stake through the heart of DEI for you.

If DEI proponents wanted to achieve the kind of diversity that is good for every member of society, they would correct the Democrat/Republican imbalance in our most important companies.

A lack of Republicans on staff caused Twitter, Facebook, and Google to censor free speech for years before getting caught.

A lack of Republican voices in the corporate news business — excluding the FoxNews bubble — allowed over 20 major political hoaxes to flourish in the past 5-7 years. (The Right had a few too.)

A lack of Republicans destroyed the reputation of Harvard. Republicans would have added balance to leadership.

Google’s Gemini AI — literally the future of their business — died in the crib because of a lack of Republicans on staff.

I don’t think I need to list the other corporations that shot themselves in the feet because they had too few Republicans on staff. You know all the stories.

Now name something that broke because of too many Republicans. I’ll give you abortion, if that’s your l worldview. Now name another.

Hey, Black American men, do you want to increase your odds of success? Just copy Republicans. They have developed a mindset and a set of traditions that have always worked, no matter who uses the methods.

Democrats, on the other hand, are biased toward using victimization as a tool for success. That’s a female strategy. When men do it, it looks pathetic to both sides. It is a losing strategy for men. (Still good for women and children.)

But Black men, your DEI does not improve your access to the mentors and networking and winning mindset of Republicans. It does the opposite.

Are you thinking of getting a face tattoo and dropping out of school? Talk to a Republican before you do that. Any Republican. Anywhere. Any time. They will stop what they are doing and give you honest and useful advice.

And if you follow that advice, they will offer you a job or recommend you, because people who can take advice and implement it are like diamonds. Everyone wants them.

I’m a registered Democrat, but I grew up among Republicans and they are my current audience. I’m not guessing how they operate. You only hear about the fringe Republicans, the same way Republicans think Democrats are crazier than they are on average.

Now I will tell you, Black American men, something you would not be allowed to say in your bubble: The root cause of the DEI debacle is batshit crazy white women who don’t know how anything works outside the female experience.

Check the stats. Republican women literally have a fraction of the mental health issues of liberal women. Now look at the saucer-eyed Democrats on MSNBC and tell me they don’t look mentally ill. You see it.

Sure, some Republicans are also nuts, but it’s a matter of degree.

For women, DEI probably looks like a plus. For Black men, DEI is a huge source of systemic racism that didn’t need to happen."; 3/29/24, 6:12 AM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: When conspiracy theory makes sense via X: “Suge Knight Says The Homeland Security Raids Wasn't For Diddy But To Allegedly Destroy The Incriminating Stuff On Powerful Men”.

Reminds me of that tragedy… 😉; 3/29/24, 6:24 AM
Mr. O. Possum said...: The new book "Nuclear War" by Annie Jacobsen is a non-fiction account of what might happen in the first hour of a global thermonuclear war. (It would be over that quick. More or less.)

Immediate escalation to maximum force. That's what the experts have always predicted.

Human decision makers overwhelmed by the speed at which they have to make globe-shattering decisions. Communication snafus. Game over

https://www.amazon.com/Nuclear-War-Scenario-Annie-Jacobsen/dp/0593476093

It's the most disturbing book I've ever read. Far better than "Command and Control," a 2016@ book about military accidents involving nuclear weapons.

We are lucky to be here.; 3/29/24, 6:35 AM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: Via X : What’s the worst thing we’ve done as a specie?; 3/29/24, 6:38 AM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: Biden money raising: Incumbency has never been so good.

Money starve your political rival by criminalising his opposition.

It’s going to take a miracle bigger than the opening of Truth Social to the public.; 3/29/24, 6:55 AM
Chuck said...: This is for our good friend and Creighton fan Dave Begley:

Michigan lawmaker says 'illegal invaders' landed at DTW. They were NCAA basketball teams.

I can help with more detail on Michigan state representative Matt Maddock. He and his wife are unquestionably the most UltraMAGA couple in the entire state. Meshawn Maddock was the past co-chair of the Michigan Republican Party. She’s been indicted as one of the Michigan fake electors following the 2020 election. Matt has been such a loose cannon as a MAGA legislator, the state house Republican caucus (a frankly extremist TrumpWing outfit, just not enough for Matt)expelled him.

I texted a friend who, unlike me, has maintained his involvement in the MI GOP about this story when it broke yesterday. He knows the Maddocks. Better than he’d like. His answer to me; “LMAO. Knowing Matt, I can probably safely say he is already replying by saying ‘that is what they want you to believe’.”
He was right! Maddock responded online yesterday denouncing the people who called out his hilarious mistake as “kommies.”

Enjoy, Dave!; 3/29/24, 6:55 AM
Christopher B said...: Rich said...

Did Judge Trevor McFadden have any comments about the officers injured or killed at the Capitol on January 6?

No police officers were killed on during the riot at the Capitol on January 6.

One was killed in NYC by an illegal alien a few days ago. Did your hero Joe Biden have any comment on that at his gala fundraiser last night?; 3/29/24, 7:03 AM
wendybar said...: Did Judge Trevor McFadden have any comments about the officers injured or killed at the Capitol on January 6?

3/29/24, 5:59 AM

There's Richie spewing lies from the talking points of MSNBC. What officer was killed at the Capitol on January 6?? Name them. How many committed suicide because they knew too much?? That's the REAL question.; 3/29/24, 7:04 AM
Breezy said...: Trying to understand why Tarlov didn’t simply agree she was in error and apologize to Bobulinski and his lawyer. The latter have filed a defamation charge against her, suggesting $30m in total damages. Would love to know what she was trying to do by not conceding the error. Fox, though not charged in the claim, is vowing a vigorous defense. Someone messed up, me thinks.; 3/29/24, 7:07 AM
Lucien said...: Rich: there were no officers killed at the Capitol on January 6.; 3/29/24, 7:22 AM
Enigma said...: @Jupiter: Detroit, racism, and a lot of anti-black comments.

The history of Detroit is complicated and the urban core was doomed to failure.

- The Great Lakes have terrible weather and struggle to keep people around
- Detroit was an early industrial city, with trains and smelly factories everywhere
- Detroit has surface beltways with railroads and trucks that ruin traffic
- The "wise" 1950s government destroyed old neighborhoods for planned redevelopment, but there were no buyers for the newly empty lots. Many people were forced to move for no reason.

After WW2, wealthy/employable people fled for warmer places that were then not very expensive (e.g., California), and they caused other places to boom plus the local depression. Detroit was left with empty factories, empty houses, and outdated infrastructure. Those who were too poor/unemployable to move stayed put, and the population shrank from 3M down to <1M.

If you are going to have to rebuild/redesign the urban layout, why not start again in a warmer place with no outdated factories, roads, and railroads messing up the plan?

The US has a habit of creating and then abandoning cities. See gentrification versus free-riding to reuse what others no longer want. Detroit is the city version of thrift shop.; 3/29/24, 7:24 AM
MadisonMan said...: I don't read books about Nuclear Wars. I think it's pretty clear what would happen.
I'll also add that we're a lot closer to one thanks to the current President. I miss the relative lack of global conflict that occurred during the Trump Administration.; 3/29/24, 7:37 AM
MadTownGuy said...: Lem the artificially intelligent said...

"Biden money raising: Incumbency has never been so good.

Money starve your political rival by criminalising his opposition.

It’s going to take a miracle bigger than the opening of Truth Social to the public."

They have the effrontery to call it a "grassroots" fund raiser when the tickets were $100 large and they raised more in one night than DJT did in February.

On X: "Biden actually tried to claim a fundraiser in Manhattan that was 100K a plate and 250K for a picture featuring Stephen Colbert and Lizzo was a "grassroots" event.

Incredible."; 3/29/24, 8:05 AM
Mike of Snoqualmie said...: Our Democrat masters in Washington State have decreed that saying bad words is a crime and must be punished. They've passed a law establishing a hot line<, I mean an informer line, to report such despicable acts.

When the informer line is open, be sure and call it to report on Democrat/Barbarian hate crimes. Flood it. The current AG, Bob Ferguson, should be a prime reportee, as he hates Republicans who throw sand in the gears of Democrat/Barbarian schemes. His favorite victim is Tim Eyemam, Mr. Initiative, the guy who's run many, many initiatives that have attacked Democrat/Barbarian policies.; 3/29/24, 8:22 AM
Drago said...: LLR-democratical Rich: "Did Judge Trevor McFadden have any comments about the officers injured or killed at the Capitol on January 6?"

LOL

Did you really think your LLR-democratical Chuck-like sly-lie "slip in" would go unnoticed?; 3/29/24, 9:07 AM
Maynard said...: Did you really think your LLR-democratical Chuck-like sly-lie "slip in" would go unnoticed?

Of course not. It was another trollish attempt to hijack the thread.

I don't know why people even bother to read and respond to "Rich".; 3/29/24, 9:36 AM
Humperdink said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 3/29/24, 9:39 AM
Kakistocracy said...: Team MAGA isn’t really trying to get people to believe any one story. They’re just trying to sow doubt. If nobody can be trusted, if everyone is corrupt, then Trump and his ilk are no worse than anyone else.; 3/29/24, 9:40 AM
Jaq said...: Rich tells you exactly what he is doing through projection. He follows the manual too closely though, there is a spark of creativity missing from his presentation.; 3/29/24, 10:20 AM
Iman said...: Big Mike… As was NC - Alabama!; 3/29/24, 10:45 AM
Rusty said...: So. How's Truth Social doing today?
Wash your hands after you're done dealing with Rich. You don't know what he's rolled in.; 3/29/24, 11:09 AM
DINKY DAU 45 said...: Hows the GREEN BAY SWEEP going in the joint for another one of trumps patsys? Only 3 months plus left in orange jumpsuit.Keep following that loser; 3/29/24, 2:32 PM
MadTownGuy said...: RIP, Lou Gossett Jr.; 3/29/24, 2:51 PM
Jim at said...: Did Judge Trevor McFadden have any comments about the officers injured or killed at the Capitol on January 6?

Not a single officer was killed on January 6. Not one.
Stop lying.; 3/29/24, 2:58 PM
Kakistocracy said...: Rusty — Is your internet broke?; 3/29/24, 3:04 PM
Kakistocracy said...: Rusty — I have to give him credit. Trump is pioneering the leveraged financial donation.

The directors can’t waive the 6 month period as it would be quite clear what that would mean on the share price.They have duties to uphold and if they let him sell early they would leave themselves open to litigation. That said it’s not really a company making money, so this will only end badly.

But it is interesting to test those dimwits’ tolerance level by allowing Trump to sell his shares.; 3/29/24, 3:38 PM
Rusty said...: Illinois beat Iowa, but it was close.; 3/29/24, 5:31 PM
Jupiter said...: "That said it’s not really a company making money, so this will only end badly."

That's Rich!; 3/29/24, 7:48 PM
Mason G said...: "I don't know why people even bother to read and respond to "Rich"."

It's not necessary to read his posts to know what he's saying. When he writes something monumentally stupid (to be fair, that covers most of his posts), somebody else will quote it in order to mock him.; 3/29/24, 8:35 PM
Kakistocracy said...: Let’s review the topic of DJT stock after the election — maybe I’ll have to eat crow. If not, it’ll be interesting to see how Althouse MAGA followers spins it.; 3/30/24, 9:54 AM