Promises made, promises broken: outbreak curbs Trump's march to dictatorship

It looks like there's at least one silver lining to the coronavirus outbreak.

Most of Donald Trump's odious offerings have dribbled out of his diaper and drizzled down his leg except that fascist takeover of the federal judiciary he promised.

“If we’re not there, it’s hard to push them through,” said Senate Majority Whip John Thune (R-S.D.). “There have been several that have been nominated now for the circuits that have to have confirmation hearings, and that means we’ve got to be in session in order to be able to move them. It’s definitely affected the schedule that way.” [Politico]

The images of John Thune just get darker and creepier. He knew Trump was a career criminal from his longtime basketball buddy Jim Comey. That's right: the vast white wing of the Republican Party was going to beat Hillary Clinton at any cost even if it meant conspiring with a sworn enemy of the United States, destroying the presidency and taking down the republic.

Jay Sekulow, one of Trump’s personal attorneys, gave financial support to several Republican senators over the last two decades, including Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and John Thune (R-S.D.). [Open Secrets]

Senator Thune has some $13 million in the bank but his popularity has dropped this year from eighth to tenth place among his constituents. He can't ever seek any higher office than he has now and unless he's indicted his term doesn't end until 2023. There are no media in his home state that aren't beholden to the Republican Party and although he went to DC with little more than the shirt on his back he had over $14 million in the bank last year. He's a sleaze who was handpicked by his fellow sleazes for "public life." Wondering where he spent $1.4 million since he's not up for reelection until 2022? Lawyers and hush money, my guess. Not just the Dan Nelson scandal, Thune had a long-time affair with Nancy Naeve formerly of KSFY teevee but who knows who he's hooked with up now.

But by over-promising what private sector companies would do — and in some cases, without adequate consultation about what they could do — the White House left other pledges that day unfulfilled. [A Month After Emergency Declaration, Trump's Promises Largely Unfulfilled]

It's almost as if Trump's spectacular failures were prophesied before the 2016 election, init?

Thank you, Nino Scalia, for reminding us why Democrats need to control not just the federal bench but every court and every jurisdiction.