From the NY Times today: On Tuesday, Gavin Newsom, the California governor, visited Half Moon Bay about 24 hours after trying to console injured victims in Monterey Park. Governor Newsom had been at a hospital when he learned of the Half Moon Bay shootings, he said. “I didn’t want to be there, and I don’t want to be here,” Mr. Newsom said, pulling notes out of his pocket that he said contained the same talking points he used after mass shootings at a San Jose transit yard, a garlic festival in Gilroy and a cowboy-themed bar in Thousand Oaks. “I started writing ‘Monterey Park.’ Now I have to write in ‘Half Moon Bay.’ What the hell is going on here?” he asked. “It’s said, and it’s said all the time: Only in America.”
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Mike Pence having a couple (for now) of classified documents stored in his garage does not bother me in the least. It was probably very hard to pack properly when he was concerned about his and his family’s wellbeing. I imagine his head was on a swivel looking every which way during those last frantic days. I may not agree with his politics, and I certainly did not agree with how he sucked up to the former president for all but his last month in office. However, I never questioned his integrity and willingness to do the right thing as he perceived it. He did the right thing on January 6 and he did the right thing on January 20, 2021 when he respected his country and respected the importance of a peaceful transition of power by being at the inaugural when his life was being threatened. That is more than I can say for his former boss.
It appears the White House has a process problem.
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When prosecutors from New Mexico announced last week that they were planning to charge Alec Baldwin with involuntary manslaughter I was surprised since supposedly Baldwin had been very forthcoming and was willing to assist the investigators in any way possible in the immediate hours afterwards. I knew that most, if not all movie sets, have armorers on set who were responsible to insuring the safety of all weapons, munitions, and explosives on a set. This was the case on the set of Rust. Thus, I couldn’t understand how Baldwin could have had anything to do with a loaded gun being on the set. What would have been his motive? How could he have been responsible? How could the facts point to him?
Today I got my answer. Per the NY Times, prosecutors feel that Baldwin had a responsibility to check the gun, even though the prosecutor’s argument has shocked many in the film industry who say that it is the crew’s responsibility, not an actor’s, to ensure that weapons are safe.
It turns out Baldwin never had an attorney present in the immediate aftermath during his interviews with law enforcement. See my Video of the Day. As I was told by a good defense attorney who was a former police officer, “never speak to law enforcement without the presence of your attorney regardless of how innocent you are and how helpful you want to be. It may come back and haunt you.” I wonder what Baldwin is thinking today?
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Quote of the Day: “I didn’t want to be here, and I don’t want to be here. I started writing ‘Monterey Park.’ Now I have to write in ‘Half Moon Bay.’ What the hell is going on here? It’s said, and it’s said all the time: Only in America.” California Governor Gavin Newsom
Orchid of the Day: The movie, A Man Called Otto. Tom Hanks is at his best. I loved the book, and I loved the movie.
Onion of the Day: The process for securing documents at the White House.
Question of the Day: What would you have done if you had been in Alec Baldwin’s shoes?
Video of the Day: Alec Baldwin interview with law enforcement.