23 Comments
User's avatar
Mitchell Epner's avatar

Great column.

I love your sentence: "The Eastman children praised their father’s 'encyclopedic knowledge and understanding of the law'". In the words of Inigo Montoya, "I do not think those words mean what they think they mean." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTRKCXC0JFg

It is the fact that John Eastman (a former Supreme Court clerk) knows the law so well that is so damning. He knows (and acknowledged) that the "arguments" he was making had no basis in law or fact, but rather were a prelude to a coup.

As a former federal prosecutor and current defense attorney, I believe that even a single day in prison is a significant punishment. I hope that Mr. Eastman is not only disbarred, but also convicted and sentenced to an extended period in prison for his crimes against the Republic.

Expand full comment
Mitchell Epner's avatar

Also, while I am not a Roman Catholic, I'm pretty certain that the Eastman children's theology is way off, even on its own terms. They contend that Mr. Eastman is like Jesus, because he has been "betrayed" by a Judas. But, in order for that analogy to make any sense, then Eastman would have had to have been betrayed by one of his fellow "apostles". I do not think the Eastman children are contending that Mr. Eastman was betrayed by FPOTUS or any of the other conspirators to have Trump returned to the White House despite having lost the election.

I also wonder how FPOTUS would like (if he ever would read something so long) the analogy of Mr. Eastman to Jesus. In Mr. Trump's recently expressed view, Mr. Trump is Jesus. At best, Mr. Eastman could be an apostle.

I would welcome a day when Mr. Trump turns his guns on Mr. Eastman for having the temerity to compare himself to Jesus, when (in Mr. Trump's view) only Mr. Trump should be compared to the Son.

Moreover, Jesus went to the Cross WILLINGLY. He did not fight against his conviction or his crucifixion. That is why Jesus is said to have made a "sacrifice." Mr. Eastman, on the other hand, is fighting his disbarment tooth & nail. He is also, as you note, fundraising like crazy off of his legal travails. Perhaps the better comparison for Mr. Eastman would be to the money-changers in the Temple. [sarcasm alert] Nah, too Jewish [end sarcasm alert].

Expand full comment
Liz Morris's avatar

Mitchell, I love the image of Eastman and Trump duking it out over which one is the “real Jesus.” It would play like a Monty Python skit!

Expand full comment
DrBDH's avatar

Humans have a crucial flaw which the Eastman kids exemplify. Current neuroscience points out that the brain lives within the skull without any direct contact with the outside world. Moreover, the brain continually creates a picture of the world based on past experiences, then compares that with selected sensory input and makes necessary adjustments. We all live in the reality our brains create but some are better than others at making those crucial comparisons. We go astray when, like the Eastmans, we refuse to change our minds - literally - when confronted with contradictory evidence. Some such false internal beliefs can get you killed - that snake isn’t a garter snake, it’s a cobra - but many more these days are contributing to the collapse of the shared reality any civilization requires for success.

Expand full comment
Amy M Townsend's avatar

I wonder if the kids call him "Eastman" in daily life?

Expand full comment
J. Frank Wilson's avatar

I'll contribute my mite of thirty pieces of silver just as soon as I figure out how to send them over the Internets.

Expand full comment
Emil Muz's avatar

Apologies for being OT in your thread, and for reposting something from the Wonkette, but I just wanted to make sure you saw it

'General Nice Times update--I got around to sending a quick note to the honchos at Above The Law, telling them how much I enjoyed reading their stuff, that I availed myself of more than just Our Liz's contributions.

Got a nice reply from Joe Patrice who said:

"One of the best things we've done is collaborating with Liz because her Wonkette audience have followed her here "

My high school's motto is "Let Us be known by Our Spirit" and I think that applies to the Wonketariat equally.'

Keep being awesome 👍

Expand full comment
Karen Krebser's avatar

“[Eastman is ...] the greatest threat to the far left’s regime of anarcho-tyranny.”

I initially read that as "the far left's regime of arachno-tyranny" and now I'm bummed that nobody talked to Spider Bro about all this.

Expand full comment
GiggleSnort's avatar

"Eastman has been betrayed and indicted for speaking up about election illegality and fraud" .. yeah, that's a tired old Republican shtick by now. They are gaslighting like crazy: they were going to claim they were preventing "election illegality and fraud" all the way through illegally stealing an election for Trump.

Expand full comment
Rob Roser's avatar

So the "kids" would be cool with it if the judge had waited until Monday to issue her decision?

Expand full comment
loganbacon's avatar

$717 thousand so far? Man, maybe I should take up grifting, too.

Expand full comment
loganbacon's avatar

Just kidding. I loathe these scumbags and if Trump and every one of his enablers and followers were swallowed up by the earth I would throw the biggest party. What they have done to this country and our constitution makes me ill. And don’t get me wrong, I want every single craven political hack who out of fear, laziness or greed has taken up Trump’s cause or positions to be swallowed up as well. I am so tired of being angry and afraid.

Expand full comment
Jeff Dwork's avatar

Is it too snarky to ask if a donation of used nails is appropriate?

Expand full comment
TexasDumb's avatar

Yes, but we'll allow it.

Expand full comment
Steven mallinger's avatar

This post is for idiots… right!

Expand full comment
David Ratcliff's avatar

I’m amazed he’s raised as much as he has.

Expand full comment
DeeDee's avatar

Another one bites the dust. Any red flags going up for lawyers?

Expand full comment
Atrele Kasha's avatar

Nice to see GiveSendGo still has the "fuck you" button.

Expand full comment
Linoleum von Curmudgeon, Esq.'s avatar

Is it not written in Psalm 22:1-2 “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning? O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer, and by night, but I find no rest.”?

So It Is Written! So Must It Be!

Even Jesus himself recited this psalm while he suffered on the cross. Please reference Matthew 27:45-47 and also Mark 15:33-34

So It Is Written! So Must It Be!

Yet here we hear the pathetic whining of John Eastman and his clan failing TO SUBMIT TO GOD'S WILL!

I say unto you, Mr. Eastman and your spawn, that your faith is not sufficiently strong!

Where in all this whining is your FAITH THAT MOVES MOUNTAINS? Have you faith in the salvation that you will receive? Do you imply that only GODLESS MONEY is the blessing that brings resurrection?

Godless money! Impious whining! O ye weak in faith! Shame of Sodom! Sin of Gommorrah!

Repent ye sinners! Abandon blasphemous whining! Turn your backs on demonic crowd-source money! Accept your crosses and follow Jesus to salvation!

Until the day your faith in Jesus surpasses your faith in devilish Mammon you can never enter the Kingdom of Heaven!

AAAAAAAAA-MENNNNNNNNNN!

Expand full comment