Judge Not

As the Trump Chowder and Marching Society has made its way from Washington to the Manhattan courthouse in their red tie and gray suit uniforms, there's been a variety of diittohead themes they've been repeating repeating to the press.  However, one has particularly stood out for me.  And which is tied to a larger point.

To be clear, all such yelps have been notable.  After all, when one is an elected member of Congress, you sort of hope they not only believe in, but also strongly support the three branches of government to which they swore an oath.  So, hearing them slam the judiciary -- without any comment on the actual evidence being addressed at the trial and testified to under oath -- is not just disheartening, but long-term problematic for democracy, but then it's also not unexpected since attacking other sources of power that could impede your authority is one of the main tenets of fascism.  It's almost as if they're reading from a script written by their leader on trial to whom they pay fealty -- as indeed, from eyewitness testimony, that appears to be the case.

Still, for all that, there is that one wailing cry that has most stood out for me.  Which itself leads to a larger point that I'll get to in a moment.

But first, that one notable cry is their repeated mournful moan about "The Judge's Daughter" (tm) -- which is reprehensible enough, bringing the child of an official, a private citizen having absolutely nothing to to do with the trial, into public scorn and putting her at physical risk given the triggered anger of Trump's acolytes (though, in fairness, the MAGOP in Congress do have experience with this sort of thing, having been practicing on Hunter Biden).  And so they've carried it on, beating their chests in angst over the fact that "The Judge's Daughter" (tm) is making "hundreds of thousands of dollars" in her opposition of Trump.

Now, first, when hearing that, I'm sure there are many people who think, "Whoa, that is a cool side gig.  Hundreds of thousands of dollars for just opposing Trump?  Where can I find out how to get in on that!?"  I mean, if this ever turned into a cottage industry, it could be the greatest boon to the economy since the CIA launched Taylor Swift.  But second, what the Trump Chowder and Marching Society folk have yet to explain is how what "The Judge's Daughter" (tm) does on her own time has impacted a single one of Judge Merchan's ruling or his management of the trial.  They cry out it's unfair and supposedly corrupt, they've just left out how. 

And third, I would love to give them all a pop quiz to find out how many of the Trump C&M Society know the name of "The Judge's Daughter (tm).

But still, despite not ever explaining what the actual evidence is of "corruption" (a MAGOP concept that falls under the Rudy Giuliani Rubric -- "We've got lots of theories, we just don't have the evidence"), nor giving any idea of what she does or how they know how much she earns, or (happily) what her name is, still they go out, woefully shouting to the heavens about non-existent, but suspected "corruption."  Against a private citizen. (You'd think they'd have learned the $148 million lesson Giuliani did about defaming a private citizen for her non-existent part in non-existent "corruption.  But apparently, if it's in the Fascist Playbook, you keep using it.  Whatever the cost.)

And that brings us to the larger point, which occurred to me as a result of this.

It so happens that I'm actually heartened by how outraged (!!) the Trump Chowder and Marching Society has been about their belief that a sitting judge could be corrupted because of the actions of a family member who makes money off her efforts.  The fact that they have no actual evidence is this specific case is secondary.  The mere fact, as a concept, that they are mortified, sickened, horrified that a sitting judge could be corrupted because of the actions of a family member, who makes money off her efforts, is a glorious sign of hope for sanity and decency and holding judges accountable for their misdeeds.

And because of that, it is my expectation that after Trump's Manhattan trial is over, the outraged TCMS bandoleros will turn their full attention and fury on the Supreme Court and Clarence Thomas.  After all, while there's zero evidence of any collusion and wrongdoing by Judge Merchan and his daughter, there is overflowing evidence of corruption by Thomas and his wife, a woman who worked actively with those who tried to overthrow the government -- from texts to on-the-record conversations to attendance at events to her job from which she earned significant income, which we know from public records.  And further, Justice Thomas didn't recuse himself, but actually voted on a case that would have impacted his wife's work.  So, no doubt, living by the exact same standard, all these Trump devotees who are so furiously outraged (!!) at "The Judge's Daughter (tm) must be most assuredly as head-exploding livid at "The Justice's Wife."  (Patent pending.)

Now, yes, I know that Justice Thomas says that he and his wife never ever talk about their work to one another.  But to believe that, one has to believe that in their 37 years of marriage, all they talk about is "Nice weather today", "Did you remember to gas up the RV?", "Please pass the potatoes," and "I hate Doonesbury."  And even more,  you would also have to believe that in almost four decades, this couple (both of whose work is immersed almost solely in current events and politics, and reported on) never watch the news!  Or never read a newspaper.  Or never browse a news site.  In fact, just imagine how limited conversations are when having dinner out with friends.  Each of them sticking their fingers in their ears and muttering "Nahnahnah nah nah!!  I don't want to hear" when the other's work is referenced by someone else at the table.  ("That was a great picture of you, Ginni, at the Stop the Stea..."  The sudden, curdling angst before instantly blocking the rest of the sentence must always be agonizing.)

Of course, if you can somehow get over that monumental hurdle, then you also have to accept that a father doesn't know what his daughter is doing.  Which actually is far more believable than a husband and wife being totally clueless about the other for 37 years. 

But accepting that about a father and daughter, obviously, as we've seen by their outrage (!!) is a bridge too far.  An impassable hurdle too high.  Which is why I am thrilled and so look forward to MAGOPs in Congress being true to their high standard that a judge shouldn't be influenced by the actions of a family member who makes money off her opposition efforts and therefore will soon be leading the charge to impeach Justice Clarence Thomas.

The wall of that hypocrisy would be far too high, even for MAGOPs.  Though I suppose they could always dig down as low as possible and go underneath.