Trump Considers Pardoning Blagojevich
[Headline from DRJ]
Trump says he’s ‘very strongly’ considering commuting Rod Blagojevich’s sentence:
President Trump on Wednesday said he’s “very strongly” considering commuting the prison sentence of former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D), who is serving 14 years on federal corruption charges.
“I thought he was treated unbelievably unfairly,” the president told reporters on Air Force One en route back to Washington, D.C., after visiting the sites of recent mass shootings.
“His wife I think is fantastic and I’m thinking about commuting his sentence very strongly,” Trump added. “I think it’s enough, seven years.”
He seems to sympathize and maybe even identify with Blagojevich.
— DRJ
“His wife I think is fantastic and I’m thinking about commuting his sentence very strongly,” Trump added.
All those years in the same neighborhood and I never once checked out Patti Mell’s caboose to see if it was as “fantastic” as Kim Kardashian’s.
But I think seven years is more than enough, too.
nk (dbc370) — 8/8/2019 @ 3:20 amMaybe.
One of things that pisses me off about the current administration is the selective application of Justice. Pardons and commutations are part of the justice process.
If we think 7 years is enough for this type of crime that propose a change to the law to reduce the penalty. If that’s too big a lift change Justice department guidelines on what sort of sentence prosecutors will seek. Put it in writing and apply it impartially.
This business of running the pardons based on outrage over famous people is crap. It does nothing to make our country better. If we’re a nation of laws and if the application of those laws offends our sense of justice the laws need to be fixed. If there’s something special about this case and this sentence is out of the norm I’m not aware of it. If there’s some reason to make this a special case I think the public is owed that explanation. Until that explanation is delivered Trump deserves to get flak for this. Because from where I sit it looks pretty swampy.
Time123 (235fc4) — 8/8/2019 @ 4:40 am…or maybe Trump is floating a balloon out there to get an idea of what people would think of it, without any serious thought about actually doing it (as-yet). Everything the walking Cheeto does should be filtered through the lens of what it does for his ego.
Gryph (08c844) — 8/8/2019 @ 4:46 amI think Time123 is right about what ought to be, and Gryph is right about what is. Trump’s use of the words “very strongly” stands out to me. He wants people to notice this.
DRJ (15874d) — 8/8/2019 @ 5:08 amIt’s a bit of margin-padding political strategy as well – a white ethnic, was a Reagan voter in his youth, father in law was a lieutenant in the more conservative Vrdolyak 29 faction in the City Council and Blago was probably the last Chicago Dem to receive a smidge of white downstate support. I don’t think Trump does this without a warm endorsement or naming names in investigations of other Illinois democrats.
urbanleftbehind (987d61) — 8/8/2019 @ 5:27 amThanks DRJ, There were a lot of things I didn’t expect Trump to do well. But this was something I thought he might actually accomplish. I thought there was a chance he’d work to reform the system because he wasn’t indebted to it. I under estimated his lack of focus and follow through.
Every time I hear a Trump supporter complain about the system being used against him I get irritated at the lack of effort on fixing the system. Lots of talk about FISA abuse. No talk about FISA reform.
Time123 (235fc4) — 8/8/2019 @ 5:28 amAdding to #5, the 2 probably bonded over talking shite about The One. Blago legit hates him because he leapfrogged ahead of him in the Senate/White House sweepstakes.
urbanleftbehind (987d61) — 8/8/2019 @ 5:49 amHas FISA been abused before? Or was this (2016 election) a “special case”? If it was a special case, investigate and prosecute those who unlawfully abused it.
Who knew Trump was a Muppets fan?
Colonel Haiku (2601c0) — 8/8/2019 @ 5:59 amIt’s annoying that if this happened to you or me, we’d have no recourse. But if our wife is buddies with the right people maybe there is a special above the law statys.
Dustin (7d3bb1) — 8/8/2019 @ 6:03 amThere were at least three concerns about FISA and its predecessor. FISA is still relatively new. One earlier concern has been addressed by Congress.
DRJ (15874d) — 8/8/2019 @ 6:09 amLet’s move the comments here.
DRJ (15874d) — 8/8/2019 @ 6:15 am