#ellispleadsguilty

The Republicans are in a real mess in Congress and Donald Trump's continued dominance in the GOP presidential sweepstakes is only complicating matters, so in this episode of the Dixie Dems, we take a look at the drama in the GOP Trump world and how it's unfolding. There’s a lot to talk about, from the debacle of the Republicans’ drama of picking a new speaker of the House of Representatives and controversies surrounding him, to continued drama in Trump world with former allies flipping on him in court, jockeying among Trump challengers, to a Supreme Court case based on Trump’s “size” or lack thereof, a new Democratic challenger for Biden, redistricting in both Georgia and North Carolina that could change the power structure in those states, and Alabama Senator Tommy Tuberville blocking a bunch of military types being confirmed by the Senate because of abortion objections. Who are the Dixie Dems, you ask? If you've followed this blog and our podcast, you know that the Dixie Dems include myself, a Marylander transplanted into South Carolina and Lean to the Left podcast host, Arthur Hill, vice chair of the Brunswick County, NC Democratic Party, and Robert Thompson, founder of Peach News Now and its opinion podcast, Got Damn Liberals. Here are the highlights of this episode as we review the drama in the GOP Trump world that continues, seemingly, to worsen by the day: Trump court cases: Ellis pleading guilty in Georgia…Others include former Trump lawyers Sidney Powell and Kenneth Chesebro, plus the guy who put up bail money for Trump, Atlanta bail bondsman Scott Hall. What’s this mean for Trump? Mark Meadows: Trump is pissed at his former chief of staff Mark Meadows over reports that he might flip on him in the 2020 election case against him. On Truth Social, Trump called people who cut deals against him with the prosecutors “weaklings and cowards.” Trump Challengers – Trump continues to dominate the GOP sweepstakes, but things are starting to thin out with Pence dropping out and reports indicating that SC’s Sen. Tim Scott could be next, as SC’s Nikki Haley appears to be overcoming DeSantis as number two. Jennifer Rubin writes in the Washington Post, “Her “path” — so slim, it’s more akin to a thread — to victory would go like this: Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.), short on money, follows former vice president Mike Pence in exiting the race. In a signal to the “normal” GOP crowd, both endorse her. Haley finishes second in Iowa and/or New Hampshire, chasing out former New Jersey governor Chris Christie and making it impossible (if he is still in the race) for DeSantis to continue. She then gets to be the single alternative to Trump. (There is no sign that Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin or Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp are going to wage a campaign.) And then? Well, Rubin writes, “that’s where things get murky, to say the least. Simply being better than all the clumsy, weak, unprepared and obnoxious alternatives still leaves Haley facing the overwhelming favorite of the GOP base. This is not 2016, when Trump could get by with winning 35 percent or so of the early primary electorate to beat back a crowded field. This time, he’s got roughly a 30 percent lead in Iowa in the Des Moines Register poll and about the same in CNN’s South Carolina poll.” New Biden Dem Challenger: Minnesota Rep. Dean Phillips has announced that he’s challenging Biden for the Democratic presidential nomination, saying that the party needs to look to the future, and, of course, Phillips, 54, would like to be that future. Who is this guy, anyway? (He's a 54-year-old, third-term congressman from Minnesota, where he represents the suburbs west of Minneapolis. The millionaire Phillips was heir to his family's distilling company, and he also led the gelato manufacturer Talenti. He's Jewish, and he's argued in the wake of the Israel-Hamas conflict that the U.S. needs to support Israel, although he backs a two-state solution long-term. In Congress, Phillips has been a fairly moderate member of the House Democratic caucus. He falls to the right of about 80 percent of his party colleagues in VoteView.com's ideological data, and he belongs to the center-left, business-oriented New Democrat Coalition and the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus.) Stalking horse for somebody else who might have a better chance? Damage to party? Trump’s Size: Hilariously, the U.S. Supreme Court actually is hearing a case involving issues of Donald Trump’s size – and I’m not talking about his obesity. Some guy in California wants to trademark the phrase “Trump Too small” for use on T-shirts and elsewhere. Georgia Redistricting – Positive developments as the result of a new Supreme Court decision that could mean additional Democratic representation in Congress. NC Redistricting – Negative developments following changes in the political makeup of the state legislature that are expected to cost Democrats at least a couple of seats in Congress. Tuberville Military Holds – The case of Sen. Tommy Tuberville of alabama blocking nearly 400 military officers from being confirmed by the Senate, pissing off members of his own party, who say he’s jeopardizing national security. It’s all about Tuberville’s objection to the Pentagon’s policy of paying for travel when a service members must go out of state for an abortion or other reproductive care.