Today In The Banana Republic of Georgia

Exactly! I've likened it to the Director of the Lottery certifying the balls and the equipment, ensuring there were no other tickets in the system, then yelling "I've won!" That's what Kemp did.
Re-upping @ProfCAnderson Neo-Jim Crow in Georgia https://t.co/rtpCR5lGYm https://t.co/8k3dNQ2adw

— Carol Anderson (@ProfCAnderson) November 17, 2018

A Southern politician changed voting eligibility rules in a way that resulted in **hundreds of thousands** more citizens, disproportionately African American, being stripped of the vote under his governorship. Then he won by 12,000 votes. This feels in line with U.S. history.

— Taniel (@Taniel) November 17, 2018

Today In The Banana Republic Of Ohio

When it's the GOP's long game, the familiar players are always brought back.

Ohio, and this again.

People may think that what went down in Ohio in the 2004 presidential election is old news, & that we shouldn’t discuss it. They are wrong. The man at the center of it all, former Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell, is BACK & assisting OH’s new Secty of State. God help us. 1/ https://t.co/xAD1BaBwdJ

— Jennifer Cohn (@jennycohn1) November 14, 2018

Thread.

Today In The Banana Republic of Florida

Hey, you use the tools you've got...

Don't forget that against this backdrop of no mercy for eligible voters, he did everything in his power to help hurricane-stricken voters in the panhandle. His goal was to pick his and his party's electorate, and he did. https://t.co/svdp16JOX6

— Brian Beutler (@brianbeutler) November 9, 2018

Not to mention this: suing counties where count is not finished, demanding Florida Department of Law Enforcement investigate ballot counting, and using whatever other means of spaghetti flinging Scott finds.

Counting ballots isn't a change in the election results. It *is* the election results. https://t.co/y9IMU4bm2X

— Philip Bump (@pbump) November 9, 2018

Today In The Banana Republic of Georgia

Why, he does declay-ah: Secretary of State? Goodness, gracious not when he is Guvnah! Now that this "resolves" everything...

Brian Kemp is resigning as Georgia secretary of state, claiming victory in the gubernatorial race (and ending a lawuit filed on Election Day seeking to block him from exercising his duties), but his Democratic opponent Stacey Abrams isn't conceding https://t.co/V0JkRuQCSI

— Zoe Tillman (@ZoeTillman) November 8, 2018

Today In The Banana Republic of Georgia

BREAKING FROM THE @AP: A spokeswoman in Kemp’s office, who has also worked on his campaign, says there are 22,000 provisional ballots. She has shared the county breakdown with only one candidate — Kemp — but has not shared it with the media or the public. #CantTrustKemp #gapol

— Georgia Democrat (@GeorgiaDemocrat) November 7, 2018

.@staceyabrams campaign holding a press call now. "We know our opponent has had the secretary of state’s office declare he is the winner. We are here to say we don't accept that."

— Kira Lerner (@kira_lerner) November 8, 2018

And so it continues; thread on
the Abrams campaign's continued efforts to confront Kemp's election tampering.

Today In The Banana Republic Of Georgia

They're not even trying to hide the abuse of power anymore. They think it helps them. Shows who's boss. https://t.co/VkwG1KYYql

— digby (@digby56) November 4, 2018

Brian Kemp: The boy who cried "Omigosh I can't beat this African American woman without cheating" hack

— emptywheel (@emptywheel) November 4, 2018

So old I remember Brian Kemp made baseless accusations of hacking against the Obama administration two years ago at a moment when it was politically advantageous to Trump. Took six months to debunk. https://t.co/9LJD606Wr9 pic.twitter.com/3X1IEgn5RX

— southpaw (@nycsouthpaw) November 4, 2018

Seriously: has any news outlet gotten this detail correct?

Story should be: "GA SoS* referred suspected breach to DHS and FBI for investigation."

Period. Anything else is just getting played by a known fabricator.

*A candidate in this race

— emptywheel (@emptywheel) November 4, 2018

This "investigation" is announced a day after reporters obtain a letter warning of the Georgia election system's vulnerability to hacking. I don't think it's all that crazy to think Kemp is hacking his own system and planning to blame it on Democrats. https://t.co/RSsILu8l2T

— Lex Alexander (@LexAlexander) November 4, 2018

Full Resources Of The US Government

Are the facts in a subsequent press release? https://t.co/gGo40YFPXu

— Schooley (@Rschooley) November 2, 2018

Today In Palace Stenography

⚡️ “Critics say. Supporters disagree. Times frontpager on Jared and Ivanka” by @jayrosen_nyu It's my thread from earlier today. https://t.co/1hu0B92XDP

— Jay Rosen (@jayrosen_nyu) July 29, 2018

Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump, because when I want a firm, steady hand guiding our ship of state, I turn to an underqualified and overleveraged slumlord and his failed handbag designer wife pic.twitter.com/Zq3V3R0JRo

— Jeff Tiedrich (@itsJeffTiedrich) July 28, 2018

This article is not really public information. It appears as such, but it's really a kind of code that cannot be read without a key. The key, missing from the text itself, is what role Jared and Ivanka had in its production. Without that it's unreadable.https://t.co/p5prvf8xFl

— Jay Rosen (@jayrosen_nyu) July 29, 2018

But isn't it simply the case that it was time to do this again?

They called Maggie and said we need some PR help from our “paper” @nytimes

— Barbara H. Rigney (@BarbaraHRigney) July 29, 2018

Updated...

Thanks to @nycsouthpaw and @erinscafe for this one. pic.twitter.com/9ARGCp5aVg

— Schooley (@Rschooley) July 28, 2018

I kid, it's a fine story. pic.twitter.com/Lqnb1VcUID

— Schooley (@Rschooley) July 28, 2018

Footnotes Critiqued

Under this logic, the president could open a booth on Pennsylvania Ave to accept bribes, people under federal investigation could stop by with a briefcase full of cash, and he could order their investigations closed—all without incurring any criminal liability for himself. pic.twitter.com/3WI2ZVff07

— southpaw (@nycsouthpaw) June 2, 2018

He could call it the Trump Hotel.

— southpaw (@nycsouthpaw) June 2, 2018

Good Old Party Values

How dare you all question the integrity of the president on the same day *checks notes* his fake university’s fraud settlement was finalized https://t.co/EdzFRK6CrC

— Jess Dweck (@TheDweck) April 10, 2018

Trump blowing a gasket in front of the press pool.

Blaming Sessions. Ranting like a loon. Crying “witch hunt!” Ranting about Hillary.

Trump happened to be in front of cameras this eve.

His attys must be hitting themselves in the head with desk staplers.

— The Hoarse Whisperer (@HoarseWisperer) April 9, 2018

Trump on raid of Michael Cohen: "It's an attack on our country in a true sense. It's an attack on what we all stand for." pic.twitter.com/6aKs0A5Y3k

— Axios (@axios) April 9, 2018

Nah, that was Charlottesville https://t.co/M1BwP7QgWd

— Kal Penn (@kalpenn) April 10, 2018

Lookin’ good, Republicans. https://t.co/AzBP6rsoMS

— Julius Goat 🦆 (@JuliusGoat) April 9, 2018

Overheard by German reporter in the WH "I haven’t heard a head of state describe an investigation into his leadership as an attack against the state since the Nazis were in power in my home country."

— Brian J. Karem (@BrianKarem) April 9, 2018

Department Of...

The Department of Justice is simultaneously (i) arguing in court that tweets from @realdonaldtrump are not official presidential statements and (ii) assigning matters to US Attorneys as a policy response to tweets from @realdonaldtrump. pic.twitter.com/sBz4vc5KwJ

— southpaw (@nycsouthpaw) April 9, 2018

Uh-OMFG...

F.B.I. Raids Office of Trump's Longtime Lawyer Michael Cohen https://t.co/Zxy9I7oZaF

— Chris Sampson (@TAPSTRIMEDIA) April 9, 2018

It's my understanding that government doesn't raid the offices of any lawyer lightly. The layers of bureaucratic approval that a raid of THE SITTING PRESIDENT'S LAWYER must have gone through simply boggles my mind. https://t.co/WjjZm69BsZ

— southpaw (@nycsouthpaw) April 9, 2018

Nifty detail: Mueller's team did not do this. SDNY did.

Presumably meaning unconfirmed Trump interim US Attorney Geoffrey Berman approved it.

— emptywheel (@emptywheel) April 9, 2018

Employee Of The Month?

April is young, and there always will be heavy competition. Yet he already seems like a strong contender.

Kevin Sabo, the Interior official who compared the Parkland students to Nazis, also has a history of violence against women. In 2000, he was sentenced to 18 months for cutting the brakes on his ex-girlfriend’s car: https://t.co/XlfmyHwJSW

h/t @cFidd https://t.co/XZTQGa2kTB

— Sarah Lerner (@SarahLerner) April 9, 2018

No Knowledge, No Problems

Plan to dismantle Puerto Rico's statistics agency gets green light https://t.co/0vxNpFXihB <-- in line with other US government attacks on research and accurate data, but particularly alarming given the post-hurricane humanitarian crisis

— Sarah Kendzior (@sarahkendzior) April 9, 2018

All In A Day's Presidenting

No time for condolences to the family of the Trump Tower victim, when the vital business of the country is waiting to be done.

Congratulations to Patrick Reed on his great and courageous MASTERS win! When Patrick had his amazing win at Doral 5 years ago, people saw his great talent, and a bright future ahead. Now he is the Masters Champion!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 9, 2018

They made Jimmy Carter sell his peanut farm. https://t.co/gADgYecVQT

— southpaw (@nycsouthpaw) April 9, 2018

Private-prison stock cratered when Obama's DOJ announced it would no longer work with for-profit prisons. Trump rolled those rules back, and GEO Group, America's 2nd largest private-prison firm, then moved its yearly company gathering to the Trump Doral. https://t.co/p1MYZEHdhI

— Citizens for Ethics (@CREWcrew) April 8, 2018

Oops

Mueller: "Remember the transition emails I requested?"

White House: "You mean the 630 we turned over to you?"

Mueller: "Good news. I found the other 50,000.https://t.co/DK2jb9LOrx

— Tea Pain (@TeaPainUSA) December 16, 2017

.@chrisgeidner spoke to a senior GSA lawyer, who said of the Trump transition team: “In using our devices," transition team members were informed that materials "would not be held back in any law enforcement" actions.
"Therefore, no expectation of privacy can be assumed." pic.twitter.com/D0uqNtgR9S

— Natasha Bertrand (@NatashaBertrand) December 17, 2017

Back To The Good Old Days

The Trump admin has indicated that the Labor Department will revisit an Obama-era rule meant to reduce exposure to coal mine dust that causes deadly black lung disease. https://t.co/OK2utySi7r

— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) December 15, 2017

Finally, relief for all those coal miners who want to die in agony https://t.co/pLVK3NXXh0

— Jess Dweck (@TheDweck) December 15, 2017

Tomorrow's News Today

Background...

.@rickperlstein has something to say. pic.twitter.com/HI9TqdWeMX

— John Stoehr (@johnastoehr) October 26, 2017

Scandalous, that Hillary Clinton then used it to steal an election she lost.

And so...

The media sure has set the table for "Clinton financed the Steel Dossier therefore Mueller must be fired," when Trump goes for it.

— Schooley (@Rschooley) October 26, 2017

Enemies Of The State

The one-party state.

Protesters in wheelchairs physically removed from McConnell’s office over Medicaid cuts https://t.co/xPiM14pBDT #HealthcareBill

— Oliver Willis (@owillis) June 22, 2017

This uncouth rabble forced police to drag them from their menacing wheelchairs. After all, their  language was an offense against the delicate ears of McConnell, et. al.

My god: wheelchair-bound anti-Trumpcare protesters at Capitol are being arrested and dragged away. pic.twitter.com/erkjOn2PVE

— Matt McDermott (@mattmfm) June 22, 2017

Uncivil! Everyone knows Senate business is properly conducted through polite bribes and behind closed doors.

"These cuts are blood money. People will die." Elizabeth Warren rips GOP on Medicaid https://t.co/5KlBF1qxz5 via @shareblue

— Oliver Willis (@owillis) June 22, 2017

Not such great PR for a certain party, you would think.

Capitol police are dragging out disabled Medicaid protestors United style outside Mitch McConnell's office. This will not end well for GOP.

— Adam Best (@adamcbest) June 22, 2017

On the other hand...

Trump better confess to breaking some more laws to distract. https://t.co/vom7CUjnZN

— Schooley (@Rschooley) June 22, 2017

Live To Tape (Not!)

Trump likely to reveal this week whether secret tapes exist https://t.co/lxpFgO3ef6 pic.twitter.com/99eGqAgt20

— Talking Points Memo (@TPM) June 21, 2017

Having Sean Spicer as the Easter Bunny make the announcement would be a nice touch. https://t.co/E5d7GWGpAx

— Schooley (@Rschooley) June 21, 2017

Mr. Schooley was on the right track...

BREAKING: Trump doesn’t have recordings of his conversations with Comey, source says https://t.co/pCyfIScRvg pic.twitter.com/zEhKuDRjlZ

— Bloomberg Politics (@bpolitics) June 22, 2017

BREAKING: The President of the United States lied for the purpose of misleading the public, intimidating FBI Director he improperly fired. https://t.co/RI6cArPk2r

— Susan Hennessey (@Susan_Hennessey) June 22, 2017

Trump lied about there being "tapes," prompting Comey to release memos, prompting the DAG to appoint a special prosecutor.

A+ work, Don.

— Parker Molloy (@ParkerMolloy) June 22, 2017

And I ran my car into a ravine to keep gravity honest pic.twitter.com/6ArgTDMSUd

— Adam Weinstein (@AdamWeinstein) June 22, 2017

Who's In, Who's SOL

Yesterday: some people were let into the secret.

New: Senate GOP staff met with/briefed insurance lobbyists on health bill this afternoon. CSR $ will be funded https://t.co/4doismxcbC

— Peter Sullivan (@PeterSullivan4) June 21, 2017

Now, isn't that just fair, when they wrote it themselves?

Insurance company lobbyists get to know what the bill says but the public doesn't https://t.co/VJhU3O2azz

— Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias) June 21, 2017

All will be restored to the deserving.

Lobbyist tells me all ACA taxes will be repealed in draft tomorrow, prospectively, but leadership reserving right to fiddle with dials later

— Peter Sullivan (@PeterSullivan4) June 21, 2017

On the other hand...
Sarah Kliff on "The littlest lobbyist"

Imagine being the "actually, lifetime limits are good" guy. pic.twitter.com/KHuIvDWZz9

— Parker Molloy (@ParkerMolloy) June 21, 2017

This morning...

Hearing senators were not actually give the health bill at this 9:30 meeting and told they would get it at 11 along with everyone else

— Erica Werner (@ericawerner) June 22, 2017

Still not done writing it? https://t.co/rX1PGixauN

— southpaw (@nycsouthpaw) June 22, 2017

For those who don't have time to read entire GOP health care bill, I've boiled it down for you 👇🏼 pic.twitter.com/zHbwbgTDGO

— Pat Bagley (@Patbagley) June 22, 2017