Ed Martin's Confirmation In Serious Doubt
There was some good news today for all Americans who cherish the United States Constitution. Interim U.S. Attorney for D.C. Ed Martin's nomination to be permanently confirmed for the job is in trouble. Senator Thom Tillis -- a Republican who will be facing a tough re-election fight next year in North Carolina -- has announced he will not support Martin's nomination in the Judiciary Committee. So Martin's confirmation won't even make it out of the Senate committee responsible for vetting candidates. Since no Democrat is going to vote for him, it leaves Martin with only 11 votes for and 11 against -- which is not enough to make it out of the committee.
This, as I said, is good news, because Martin is one of the more odious of any of Trump's nominees. He was on the Capitol grounds on January 6th, is a full-blown election denier, and has fired many federal prosecutors for the sin of prosecuting the crimes that were committed that day (earlier, he called such prosecutors "terrorists"). He has defended January 6th rioters who have espoused Nazi views. And that's just for starters.
As HuffPost points out, these aren't Martin's only red flags:
[Ed Martin] also failed to disclose to the judiciary panel that he appeared on Russian state media more than 150 times from 2016 to 2024, something he was required to disclose. As recently as Monday, Martin had written to the committee again -- for the fourth time -- listing off dozens of media appearances he previously didn't tell them about.
Martin had no prior experience as a prosecutor at all, and is now facing at least four disciplinary complaints from the D.C. and Missouri bars, just from his short stint in his current (interim) posting. He appeared on a podcast in 2021 hosted by a White nationalist, where he compared Joe Biden to Adolf Hitler.
Martin threatened to prosecute anyone who resisted Elon Musk's government makeover. He opened an investigation into Senator Chuck Schumer for comments he made four years ago on the Senate floor. He has threatened other sitting members of Congress as well. Representative Jamie Raskin, the ranking Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, sent a 9-page letter to the inspector general of the Department of Justice asking that Martin be investigated for "several recent actions... that appear to violate the Constitution, federal statutes, DOJ regulations, and rules of legal ethics.... In seven short weeks, the list of Mr. Martin's constitutionally, legally and ethically indefensible actions have grown exponentially." The letter contains an extensive list of what Martin's been up to.
Martin loves sending threatening letters out to anyone he doesn't like or considers an adversary of Donald Trump. This includes threatening Wikipedia's nonprofit status and darkly warning several medical journals about their editorial policies. Martin was eager to punish the Associated Press for refusing to use "Gulf of America" rather than what the rest of the world still calls it. Martin clearly has no concept of what the First Amendment says, since all of these actions are exactly the sort of abuse of governmental power the Bill of Rights was created to protect against.
Martin directed that bank accounts with a $20 billion Biden climate grant program be illegally frozen, without evidence of any crime. He's threatened to close down the District of Columbia's medical marijuana dispensaries, just for good measure.
With the announcement by Senator Tillis today, Martin's confirmation is in serious jeopardy. The chair of the committee didn't put a vote on Martin's nomination on the schedule, which means the earliest they could vote on him (by Senate rules) would be May 22nd -- which is two days after his interim appointment expires. On the 20th, if the Senate has not confirmed him, the judges on the D.C. U.S. district court could appoint someone else to fill the seat. Or Trump could appoint someone else to serve in the interim. There is only one way for Martin to be confirmed by the deadline, which is if the Senate Majority Leader moves his nomination straight to the floor (without the Judiciary Committee's approval). But this would set up a hard vote for some Republicans, since Tillis isn't the only one worried about his re-election prospects in a purple state. Reportedly, there are "four or five" Republican senators who may vote against Martin's confirmation -- which would be enough (with all the Democrats) to sink his chances. But that's only if a floor vote happens -- John Thune might just decide to let the committee's rejection be the final word on Martin, to avoid such a contentious vote for his fellow Republicans.
Again, this is all good news. Ed Martin is not qualified for the job, is dangerously ignorant of federal law and the U.S. Constitution, and would eagerly weaponize his position (more than he already has) against Donald Trump's perceived enemies, while completely ignoring crimes committed by Trump's allies. Ed Martin does not deserve to be confirmed to be D.C.'s top prosecutor, as he has already shown how dangerous he would be in that job. If Tillis holds firm in the face of Trump's outrage and if Thune refuses to move his confirmation to the floor, then Martin's chances of being confirmed would be dead. Which is good news indeed for anyone who values the United States Constitution.
-- Chris Weigant
Follow Chris on Twitter: @ChrisWeigant
Good on Sen. Tillis. I've been following the Martin horror stories for many weeks now. As usual with Trump's odious appointees this year, it's never seemed like anyone in the Congressional majority party was going to step up and just say no to these fascist and fascist-adjacent guys and gals.
Well, all we can do is wait to see what Thune does ... or what Trump and his brownshirts threaten to do to Tillis to change his mind.
Thanks for the (sort of) upbeat column.
This is just going to be a quickie... Just got in from a 19-hr day and I am ragged...
CW, you will have a plethora of cat pictures tomorrow...
Anyways, some time in the last few days (days are all kind of blurring together...) ya'all were talking about President Trump's poll numbers.. That they have gone down a bit..
It doesn't really mean as much as ya'all think, but I'll go more in depth on THAT tomorrow...
But here's the most salient point...
As "bad" as ya'all think President Trump's poll numbers are (wha?? hi 30s?? low 40s???), your Democrat Party would KILL for such high numbers...
Democrat Party poll numbers are in the TWENTIES!!!!!
Chuck Schumer??? His poll numbers are in the **TEENS**!!!
So, by all means.. Slap President Trump around for his poll numbers..
Just keep at the forefront of ya'all's brain that Democrat poll numbers are TONS worst!!!
Chew on that with a side of humble pie.... :D
Anywho... Talk to ya'all in the morning... Have a happy!! :D
Yes I think we’re getting close to the do Republicans fear Trump more than they fear their Constituents phase of this process. Senators don’t have Gerrymandering to help them so they cannot be as whack as the GQP House.
Michale I highly doubt that your kitty pictures will be enough to rehabilitate you in my eyes. But let’s see what you’ve got before I jump to any conclusions.
Speaking of odious, Pam Bondi said that a Sinaloa cartel leader, Heriberto Salazar Amaya (among others) had been arrested in Oregon. Interestingly, he's not on a plane to El Salvador! Pam said "I want them to stay in our prisons as long as possible." Perhaps Alcatraz.
Caddy,
Michale I highly doubt that your kitty pictures will be enough to rehabilitate you in my eyes.
Considering the kinds of comments YOU have made...???
I'll just let that stand on it's own (lack of) merit...
@c/m
what did CW JUST say about bringing up the past?
JL
OK.... As promised...
Cat Pics...
Before I begin, just let me start off (as I am wont to do) with a apropos movie quote...
"Remember. YOU wanted this.."
-Tom Cruise, (FAUX) JACK REACHER
:D
Please note, this may take a couple tries... Still getting used to this fancy schmanzy HTML stuff... :D
Everybody, this is Raven...:D Raven... This is everybody....
This is when I first found Raven back at the end of 2019 right after my triple-bypass...
Of course, Raven needed toys... :D
And even more toys.....
And yet even more toys.....
And yet even.... Well, you guys get the picture...
And, after playing with all the toys, Raven needed a place to rest..
Then Raven went thru her "parrot" phase...
But something was lacking... Raven needed a friend....
And then Rajah got lazy....
And then Rajah was worried about his weight...
But Rajah & Raven had fun....
... And fun....
... And more fun....
But then Raven and Rajah were tired and slept..../a>
... And slept...
And then Raven & Rajah got a new friend.. And THEY slept..../a>
And then we have our outside cats who are our Anti-Snake forces... :D
So, there you have the history of Raven, Rajah & Sasha...
And, just so she doesn't feel left out...
Here's Luna... :D
JL,
Yer right... I realized that when I was working on the Cat pics comment...
I wrote the following, but didn't get a chance to post it...
Caddy,
But the past is the past.. As far as I am concerned, we all should forgive and forget and move on...
There is a sea change coming.. A change for the (much MUCH) better...
You have a choice here.
You can fight against it... Or you can be part of it..
"Choose wisely"
-Knight, INDIANA JONES AND THE LAST CRUSADE
In the interests of clarity and to see if I actually learned anything.. I am going to repost.. Apologies...
OK.... As promised...
Cat Pics...
Before I begin, just let me start off (as I am wont to do) with a apropos movie quote...
"Remember. YOU wanted this.."
-Tom Cruise, (FAUX) JACK REACHER
:D
Please note, this may take a couple tries... Still getting used to this fancy schmanzy HTML stuff... :D
Everybody, this is Raven...:D Raven... This is everybody....
This is when I first found Raven back at the end of 2019 right after my triple-bypass...
Of course, Raven needed toys... :D
And even more toys.....
And yet even more toys.....
And yet even.... Well, you guys get the picture...
And, after playing with all the toys, Raven needed a place to rest..
Then Raven went thru her "parrot" phase...
But something was lacking... Raven needed a friend....
And then Rajah got lazy....
And then Rajah was worried about his weight...
But Rajah & Raven had fun....
... And fun....
... And more fun....
But then Raven and Rajah were tired and slept....
... And slept...
And then Raven & Rajah got a new friend.. And THEY slept....
And then we have our outside cats who are our Anti-Snake forces... :D
So, there you have the history of Raven, Rajah & Sasha...
And, just so she doesn't feel left out...
Here's Luna... :D
Ahhh... There we go... :D
ya'all were talking about President Trump's poll numbers.. That they have gone down a bit..
It doesn't really mean as much as ya'all think, but I'll go more in depth on THAT tomorrow...
And here is tomorrow.. :D
Ya'all seem to think that President Trump voters are experiencing "Buyer's Remorse"...
While I am certain ya'all could point to a malcontent here or there (just like I could point to a malcontent here or there who had "Buyer's Remorse" over Biden) the simple fact is, the vast majority of President Trump voters are ECSTATICALLY happy with how President Trump has been doing..
His voters are standing firm, showing no buyer’s remorse despite some minor economic turbulence and pain from President Trump's bold tariff policies.
If ya wanna make some AWESOME omelets, you have to break a few eggs...
"Nobody has to break anything"
"You've clearly never made an omelet"
"I swear he beat me by ONE second!"
-AVENGERS AGE OF ULTRON
:D
In West Virginia, Indiana, and Kentucky, not one Trump supporter that David Marcus met with voiced ANY regret their vote, even as Democrats and some Republicans point to polls predicting economic pain.
I have recently started hitting the gym to prep for the Police Academy and the watch-phrase I follow is NO PAIN, NO GAIN
So it is with this country...
Democrats and (to be fair) Republicans of the past have totally scroo'ed up this country and it's going to take some severe measures to fix it..
Terry and Cassandra, a couple in their 60s from Jeffersonville, Indiana, told David Marcus that they (like me) embrace the “no pain, no gain” reality, trusting President Trump needs time for lasting change.
Steel cleaners Doug and Danny at Voss Clark echoed this, unwavering in their support, excited about Trump’s pledge to end overtime taxes, which would reward their hard work.
Over half of Voss Clark’s workers earn over $100,000 annually, proof these are jobs Americans value.
Pollster Frank Luntz noted this resilience as unprecedented, with voters unmoved by stock market dips or rising prices, fed up with the status quo. Ya'all seem to think that we can continue to do the same old things time after time, but achieve a different result..
That's the very definition of insanity...
This country doesn't NEED another lamb to the slaughter... We *NEED* a bull in a china shop.... Literally....
And THAT is exactly what President Trump is...
President Trump’s base, from management to labor, sees him as their champion, prioritizing workers over Wall Street.
Trump voters understand the risks but voted for disruption... VOTED for the bull in China's shop....
Tweaks and half-measures and kicking the can down the road simply isn't going to cut it anymore...
President Trump voters are steadfast in their loyalty..
Media and Democrat attacks on President Trump and his actions on tariffs and illegal immigrants are just making his supporters SUPPORT HIM even MORE steadfast...
Ya'all think that Democrats would have learned that lesson during their hysterical LAWFARE against President Trump..
The more President Trump is attacked, the STRONGER President Trump gets..
All the Democrat phaser fire and photon torpedoes simply re-enforces the USS Trump's shields...
Democrats simply CAN'T win... Because ALL they have is simply Trump hate..
Until Democrats can show a BETTER way, they will continue to get creamed...
Ya'all were mocking President Trump a lot for floating the idea of re-opening Alcatraz...
Why???
It's the PERFECT message to send to assorted scumbags, criminals, terrorists and druggies...
I fully support the idea of revamping Alcatraz as a SUPER MAX prison along the lines of El Salvador's CECOT prison...
Let's go even further and populate San Francisco Bay with huge sharks.. :D
Sounds like an AWESOME plan to me!!! :D
Have any of ya'all read the novel ONE SECOND AFTER??
It's a scary as shit fiction novel that could actually happen...
Fox News did an article about it...
Nuclear EMP attack moves to big screen as author reflects on 'invisible lifeline'
A nuclear electromagnetic pulse strike could cripple the US, an expert warned
https://www.foxnews.com/us/nuclear-emp-attack-moves-big-screen-author-reflects-invisible-lifeline
It's got a sequel that is equally terrifying..
ONE YEAR AFTER
Both are awesome reads which I highly recommend...
the biden administration's policy (build back better) WAS a better way, and achieved objectively better results, in spite of being hamstrung by a noncompliant congress. but the public wasn't satisfied with better, they wanted the myth of a glorious past that never existed and never will. plus biden was old and didn't speak well. if somehow this insane plan of donald's ends up bringing about actual improvement, I'll be GLAD to be proven wrong, but right now it seems to be moving pretty unequivocally in the opposite direction.
JL
i.e. "no pain no gain" would be a much better argument if there appeared to be some sort of long-term plan beyond "break stuff."
but that discussion really belongs in monday's column; this one is about a nominee who is so horrible he might not be confirmed, which given the ineptness of the people the administration has already nominated and confirmed, is really saying something.
JL,
the biden administration's policy (build back better) WAS a better way, and achieved objectively better results,
Not factually accurate.. Biden's plan was to give BILLIONS to green activists to fund things that were not technologically feasible in the here and now..
It would have enriched Democrat elitists at the expense of every day Americans..
they wanted the myth of a glorious past that never existed and never will.
Well, not with THAT attitude!! :D
if somehow this insane plan of donald's ends up bringing about actual improvement, I'll be GLAD to be proven wrong, but right now it seems to be moving pretty unequivocally in the opposite direction.
Things WILL get worse before they get better, that much is factually accurate... But that's simply a testament to how badly Democrats have frak'ed up the country..
this one is about a nominee who is so horrible he might not be confirmed, which given the ineptness of the people the administration has already nominated and confirmed, is really saying something.
Which is the exact same argument ya'all made at the beginning of President Trump's term...
Which turned out to be completely and utterly wrong.. ALL of President Trump's picks were confirmed...
:D