Month: April 2023

Scott Johnson KNOWS How Big Firm “Conflicts Reviews” Work… YAWN.

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Johnson tries (impotently) this morning to throw some “stanky-leg” onto the venerable law firm Cadwalader. It is the quintessential NYC monied law firm. The oldest continuous NY law partnership, and likely most prestigious, at least in terms of centuries long reputations in New York.

Scott well-knows that this firm would not want to be associated with someone, whom — by well vetted public documents… has now been shown to have committed multiple public corruption felonies.

So, in addition to the fact that Cadwalader handles much NY city tax work, and so has a positional conflict where the DA is seeking monetary tax penalties as well against Tangerine… the firm has great “reputational” risk in repping him.

So its partner has taken a leave. If he was in good standing, after Tangerine is convicted, the firm will likely ask if he wants to return. But he may too move on, from here — becoming a darling of the Steve Bannon / Roger Stone set. He also repped Paul Manafort. So, he was already starting to get… tarred, by his unsavory clients. Then Tangerine pardoned Manafort — all but confirming the corruption was driven from the top down, in that case.

So — no surprise as to why Cadwalader would say he should hang out his own shingle, for this go ’round.

Shut it, Scott.

I’ll Check The Local / Noon Newscasts In Minneapolis, Today. But If He Gets 50 People, I’ll Be… Shocked.

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Well, I’ll say this: you cannot fault him for trying. He’s diving head-first, into a news ocean that is so deep and frothy blue-black — probably only VE Day eclipsed it. [Not that Tangerine, himself, is in any manner important — it is solely that this is the first time a preznit will be a 34-count indicted criminal, in the eyes of the NY law enforcement system. That is… historic. In a bad way.]

So John holds his “old whyte guys shouting ‘get off my lawn, you damn kids!‘ rally” at noon, today, in the State Capitol rotunda area.

And… I predict… almost no one will show.

Even if Tangerine was not being arrested today.

He’s just bodily unable… to accept that the people of Minnesota have already spoken — twice. Two recent elections, and the verdict is… his ideas are decidedly dead-ender ideas.

Last century relics of a patrician culture now (mostly) faded into nursing homes — and cemeteries — dotting the nation.

Sit down, Johnnie. You are an… embarrassment.

Hilarious.

Betsy Stauffer: “Maybe” He Can Win?! Now That’s A… Faint Endorsement!

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And, it comes from what is arguably his most ardent support at Powerline.

H I L A R I O U S.

Betsy apparently thinks Tangerine can win in the general, if he can survive the GOP nominating process.

And so… we think she (like John!) needs to up her dosings of… ketamine, each evening. [Or whenever she sits down to write her gibberish.]

In a few hours we will know whether the 34 felonies he’s been indicted on include not just hush money related offenses, but also bank fraud, tax fraud including charity stealings, and perhaps even insurrection and theft of classified documents.

Poor Bitsy. Her derangement syndrome — or Stockholm syndrome if one prefers — won’t let her see that on top of all that, almost no whyte suburban women with college degrees will vote for his ticket. As we saw in 2020, and as we saw by derivation — in 2022 midterms.

And that is all before most suburban whyte women wrote him off for chanting “grab her by the p$ssy.” Charming.

Betsy — “maybe”… you should sit this one out.

“Altruistic?!” What A Feckless Liar Hinderaker Is.

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Tonight Hinderaker offers a laugh-out-loud concluding prevarication, on spending, policies and politics:

“…Conservative donors, in contrast, are basically altruists, seeking better policies for the benefit of all…”

That’s precious. 223 dead Texans would like a word, John.

The people who saw Ivanka and Jared make $400 million off grifts while in the West Wing… would like a word.

And, of course, the Secret Service details required to stay at Trump’s properties, so he could personally bill the government over $200 million in four years (all benefitting only his private clubs’ businesses)… would like a word.

There are dozens of other examples — but you get the drift.

And on a personal note, John: in what manner was your taking a PPP loan (and not paying it back) through your “think tank”… altruistic?! Do tell.

What an unctuous lil’ stink bug, indeed!

Out — tomorrow is… Xmas Day!!!

Betsy Stauffer Highlights “99 Luft Balloons/Via China” Fear-Mongering… While Ignoring That Trump Was Sharing Top Secrets, To “Get” Gen. Milley.

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Well… as I have said repeatedly, Betsy’s blog postings are where… irony goes — to die.

She whines about a balloon that took photos. Photos that can be (and HAVE BEEN) taken from space — on any clear day, by the Chinese spy satellites. Yes we have proof of this.

Y A W N.

Nah… she does so solely to cover for the fact that as the Wa Po reported over the weekend, but EmptyWheel very helpfully sorted, straightened and clarified… Trump was very likely building a “dossier” on his own appointee, Gen. Milley, after the same fell out of Trump’s good graces.

It is highly likely that we will learn in coming months that Trump showed his classified documents / “dossier” down at Mar-a-Lago — on his nemesis Milley — to at least five people without clearance of any sort, and after Trump was no longer preznit. [These people very likely included preachers and donors. Damn.]

And it was all about undercutting Milley’s efforts to defuse tensions with China. China was worried that Trump would cut loose a nuke with no prior warning. Milley reassured the Chinese counterpart that no such thing would happen [all of this in late November, early December 2020].

So… Elizabeth Stauffer dutifully resurrects the silly “red balloon” scare, as some cover, for the coming tsunami, of Trumpain crimes. Most… 20-years-in-prison crimes.

Sit down, Bitsy.

Johnson Whines On, And On — About His Electricity Service?! In RED States, 223 DEAD — Froze To Death In A Week, In Texas: Feb. ’21.

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So… hey, Scott — the people of Texas (in the ice storm of February 2021), and the people of Louisiana (Katrina, Irma, etc.)… and the people of Florida (any number of storms and building collapses)… would like a word. [Funny. All those power disasters were… yep. red states. California may be the only outlier, here.]

You whine because some of your frozen steaks might have thawed. Your “family plans” were disrupted. Get thee to the fainting couch!

Seriously, it is all good sport, for old farts to complain about the utility services they receive. I get it. You’re an old fart. Your power was out for what? Two days, give or take?

That is normal in a spring heavy snowfall, breaking powerlines. Not a Democratic or Republican issue. Sh!t happens. Buy a generator, if you are so vexed. Run it on gasoline, on your back porch. Learn how to plug it into your home system. [Stow the whole she-bang away, in your detached garage — so as not to blow your house to kingdom-come, on a hot summer day.]

You can afford it.

I guess though (as you by now may surmise), I have very little compassion for you and John (break out the tiny violins!) as all of Powerline was deadly silent when the direct Gov. Abbott energy policies (never reformed, since Enron in 2000!) in Texas KILLED 223 in February 2021.

These people froze to death, because Texas ERCOT charged them over $15,000 for a month of electricity. $15,000 — for seniors on Medicaid — many already suffering debilitating diseases. They were house-bound. Unable to go to shelters to warm up. The power was out for seven days and nights.

They froze to death — alone on their floors — in large glassy pools of ice (due to burst / frozen water pipes, as well).

That was a conscious policy choice of the GOP in Texas — to let oil and gas legacy family wealth gouge consumers when electricity was in high demand — like during an ice storm. And to let Bitcoin miners (for example, very large consumers of electricity) CHARGE the grid $125 million in cash — for NOT turning on their rigs.

Yet you morons were… nowhere to be found on the issue.

Some “responsible” energy advocates you all are.

Hinderaker couldn’t get out of his long driveway — you had a defrosted steak.

DAMN, son.

Sit down.

Elections Have Consequences, Hinderaker. Rally All You Want. You Haven’t Enough… VOTES. Period.

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Again, blustering impotently — Hinderaker hopes the snow will have melted enough by Tuesday, to hold what he calls a “protest rally” of indeterminate size, at the state capitol in Minneapolis.

If he gets more than 100 people, I will be… shocked.

What old guys like John increasingly forget… is that they no longer run things.

They don’t really even understand… younger people’s thinking.

They no longer just get to bark commands — and have them followed.

When you work hard to tell at least half of the voting age population that a bunch of old whyte guys get to decide whether you (as an adult woman, carrying a dividing cell line, inside your own body!) must bring that cell line into the world as a new human being, or whether you may decide (while it is still just a dividing cell line) what is best for YOU… well, that is going to have electoral (and legislative)… consequences.

So it is that the GOP is largely a dead brand, in most American cities of size (outside of parts of Texas, Florida, Alabama and Mississippi — and maybe one or two other smaller population states).

So, yeah — funny thing! — Minneapolis is a city of size; and Minnesota is not one of those four enumerated states.

So… do hold your precious lil’ rally, John.

It will mean nothing. It will change… nothing. Just tiny, high-pitched sound and fury. Signifying… nothing.

And meanwhile, in another city of size, also not in those four states, your tangerine ticket topper will be finger-printed, perp walked and arraigned — at the very same time you are ranting.

Flawless.

As The Zetia® “Pay To Delay” Class Action Gets Closer, In Virginia… We Are Gratified To See This “Press Ruling”…

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We intend to cover this class action as a close out of our five or so years of watching “Fast Fred” Hassan game the US drug distribution regulatory system — for billions, and walk away with over $235 million in personal holdings, by doing so — while at the helm of legacy Schering-Plough (now a part of Merck). It is also notable that Martin Shkreli (now banned for life from pharma, post five years of prison) claims that most of what he did to the US Daraprim® market, and supply availability, he “learned” watching Fred Hassan.

So it is good to know that the able USDC Magistrate Judge Douglas E. Miller, in Virginia, will not impose any gag orders, despite requests for the same from Merck and Glenmark. We will indeed have much more here, in a few weeks — once the trial gets underway, in earnest, But here’s that bit, from his order (there are a host of other rulings contained in that 12 page order, as well — but this is the one I was most keenly focused on seeing resolved):

…This motion seeks to bar Plaintiffs’ counsel from speaking to the media if it would result in “unfair prejudice to Defendants.”

The motion is DENIED.

Statements to the media are not evidence and not a proper subject for a motion in limine. Nevertheless, all counsel are reminded of the ethical obligations imposed by Local Civil Rule 83.1(1) (incorporating section II of part 6 of the Rules of the Supreme Court of Virginia) and the Rules of Professional Responsibility of their jurisdictions of licensure….

[A later] motion sought to exclude reference to five charts accompanying expert testimony on the impact of generic entry. The motion is DENIED. The evidence cited, which summarizes the impact on brand sales and pricing of generic entry across pharmaceutical markets, is relevant background necessary for the jury’s understanding of issues in the case. The fact that the information applies to generic pharmaceuticals in general, and not to ezetimibe specifically, does not render it unfairly prejudicial or confusing….

That local Virginia rule 83.1(1) cautions that “a lawyer should not make any extrajudicial statement that may prejudice an adjudicative proceeding….” But it obviously cannot trample the first amendment rights of non-parties to any given piece of litigation. Even multi-billion dollar litigation. That much is certain.

Do stay tuned — out, grinning with the women’s national March Madness championship on the line, this afternoon — go get it, Caitlin!

नमस्ते

“Time To Take Off The Gloves?” Nah — Time To… Take Your Ketamine, Hinderaker…

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Hinderaker seems to think, here on a Saturday night that finds him snowbound, that it will harm the Democratic Party if he can convince corrupt DAs to bring spurious charges against people who do not now hold — and have never held — any public office, are private individuals with some past trouble in their own lives… and THAT, he thinks… makes the GOP brand… stronger?

Cool. Bring it. You will (again!) ride the whirlwind. We saw this movie in the Durham fiasco… and that was a competent federal-driven investigation. It struck out, utterly. [All any of it will do, is remind the world that the GOP is now the felon / reprobate / treasonous party. It won’t deflect the coming additional Tangerine indictments, all backed by sh!t-tons of documentray evidence and cell phone transcripts.]

So yeh. Go crazy (oops! — too late).

Really John — time for your 15 ml Ketamine hit… take one every evening at 5 pm, along with your regular bourbon.

We will all be… happier. You plainly included.

G’night.

Hinderaker Believes “The True Evil” Of A Foot Of April Snow In Minnesota… Is… Electric Cars?!

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I am just going to assume he means this… as an April Fools’ joke.

Otherwise… he is the joke.

How Hinderaker’s addled, bitter brain can find “a demon” — in a place he (perhaps foolishly, it would seem — especially now, as he ages out into codgerdom) decided to make his permanent home, about a half century ago, now… in electric vehicles, on these facts(?!)… is just… adorable.

Simply… adorable.

Anyway — this is what passes for reasoned thought at Powerline.

This — and claims that Tangerine is above the law. Over it. Beyond it. Someone entitled to threaten a Black NY Prosecutor… with a baseball bat, on his own social media publishing site.

D A M N.