Patterico's Pontifications

11/22/2016

Trump Not To Pursue Charges Against ‘Crooked Hillary’

Filed under: General — Dana @ 11:43 am



[guest post by Dana]

During the presidential campaign, the refrain of “lock her up, lock her up” become part of Trump’s go-to rhetoric used to rally supporters. Now, in spite of that, and in spite of promising that if he won the election, he would “instruct his attorney general to appoint a special prosecutor to look into Clinton’s situation,” it was announced this morning that President-elect Trump will not be pursuing any prosecution of Hillary Clinton. Instead, it appears he would like to be a part of the healing process …

Senior spokeswoman Kellyanne Conway explained the decision:

“I think when the President-elect, who’s also the head of your party, tells you before he’s even inaugurated that he doesn’t wish to pursue these charges, it sends a very strong message, tone, and content” to fellow Republicans, Conway said in an interview on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.”

Conway said Clinton “still has to face the fact that a majority of Americans don’t find her to be honest or trustworthy,” but added that “if Donald Trump can help her heal, then perhaps that’s a good thing to do.”

“Look, I think he’s thinking of many different things as he prepares to become the President of the United States, and things that sound like the campaign are not among them,” she added.

As a reminder, here are a few times he used the issue to rally the base:

“Remember I said I was a counter-puncher? I am,” Trump said at a San Jose rally in June, referencing an anti-Trump speech Clinton gave. “After what she said about me today, her phony speech, that was a phony speech. It was a Donald trump hit job, I will say this: Hillary Clinton has to go to jail, ok? (Cheers) She has to go to jail, phony hit job. She’s guilty as hell.”

And,

“She gets a subpoena, she deleted the emails, she has to go to jail,” Trump said at a Lakeland, Florida, rally

According to this report, Trump’s decision involved a desire to protect the Clintons:

“I don’t want to hurt the Clintons, I really don’t. She went through a lot and suffered greatly in many different ways.”

With that, some are voicing disappointment at his decision. From Breitbart, the headline reads, “Broken Promise: Trump ‘Doesn’t Wish to Pursue’ Clinton Email Charges.

Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton, released a statement:

Judicial Watch, a conservative watchdog agency that sued to get more of Clinton’s State Department emails released, urged Trump on Tuesday to “commit his administration” to investigating Clinton, while promising to continue its own litigation and investigations to help uncover possible scandals.

For Trump to refuse to do so “would be a betrayal of his promise to the American people to ‘drain the swamp’ of out-of-control corruption in Washington, DC,” Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton warned in a statement. “President-elect Trump should focus on healing the broken justice system, affirm the rule of law and appoint a special prosecutor to investigate the Clinton scandals.”

But, it appears that Trump remains optimistic about his supporters:

untitled

untitled2

And some will indeed cut him slack and claim that this now allows him to look ahead and focus on more important matters.

Questions: At any point, did Trump expect President Obama to preemptively pardon Clinton on his way out the door, in spite of what Obama has said about not doing last-minute pardons? In light of today’s decision, what would happen if Congress decides to make a referral to seek prosecution? How vulnerable would elected Republicans become if he did seek to pursue a prosecution, and what might the fallout look like?

And there is this:

For Hillary, on the other hand, a pardon is no vindication. History will show even more clearly that the mark of scandal can never be cleansed from her escutcheon. Her unfavorable rating, already high for a major party’s presidential candidate, will not fall with the remove of years. The chances of getting a Democratic Congress in 2018, not to mention the election of a Democrat to the presidency in 2020, will not be increased by their association with a pardoned felon.

A pardon will not erase the Clintons’ corruption, but with the decks cleared, Trump and conservatives could possibly forge a positive, forward-looking challenge to the stale ideas of the Left. As good as a pardon would be for Clinton’s hopes of staying out of prison, it would be better for her erstwhile political opponents and better still for the average American. President Trump should do the right thing, as President Ford did, and help put our long national nightmare behind us.

It’s good to bear in mind that given this is Donald Trump we’re talking about, it’s highly possible he will stick his finger in the air, check out which way the prevailing winds are blowing and then change his mind.

And I have to admit, there is something absolutely delicious in picturing Hillary Clinton yet again being totally humiliated by none other than Donald Trump! as he extends her this favor.

–Dana

147 Responses to “Trump Not To Pursue Charges Against ‘Crooked Hillary’”

  1. Does he waffle?

    Dana (d17a61)

  2. I suspect that if Sessions gets AG, he will move on this unless explicitly muzzled by Trump–at least to the extent of “we’ll go over the existing reports and decide if action should have been taken.”

    M Scott Eiland (1edade)

  3. B’rer Fox, he lay low

    ropelight (efd631)

  4. He’s also keeping an open mind about the Climate Change accord

    I’m wondering what the difference is between Trump and Hillary. Oh, yeah: Supreme Court nominees. Because we can take Trump at his word on that.

    Chuck Bartowski (bc1c71)

  5. piggy’s not in good health

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  6. He just wants to get ahead of the professionals at DOJ telling him that there’s no case. Or no winnable case, at least.

    nk (dbc370)

  7. I don’t need to see her in jail,
    but I do want an explanation and documentation of Benghazi, pay to play, the Iran deal,
    a public hearing of the facts

    MD in Philly (f9371b)

  8. Strike One…

    ‘Course, the Foundation investigation presses on.

    Do a Twitter poll first, Chief, then ignore the results.

    “Never mind what I told you. I’m telling you!” – Captain Morton [James Cagney] ‘Mister Roberts’ 1955

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  9. I agree, MD.

    Dana (d17a61)

  10. I’m thinking it’s best to let this be a non-issue while Obama is still president. Remember, even though no one is saying it, Hillary didn’t do this in a vacuum. Obama and everyone else in his cabinet, probably along with most of the Republican leadership, at least knew about it if they weren’t doing the same scam themselves. Going after her on this might open a Pandoras box that would derail any attempts to put the country back together again. Not saying letting her skate is a good thing, just that it might be one of those lesser of two evils thangs.

    Besides, there’s still the Clinton Foundation investigation, and that would be one that isolates the Clinton’s, with a discovery that is less harmful to national security. However, that is also an issue best left until Obama retires also. Jail would be better than a pardon.

    LBascom (1cae03)

  11. #4 Chuck Bartowski, what’s the difference between Jeff Sessions as AG VS Loretta Lynch (or Tom Perez) as AG?

    Cruz Supporter (102c9a)

  12. Slightly off topic. But in what has to be the saddest group of consolation prize winners, the Medal of Freedom honorees paraded out to get their tokens of gratitude from the Obamas. Consolation prizes for backing a loser….

    Lorne Michaels… Ellen…seriously?

    There are better Americans driving nails, taxi cabs and Humvees than being “honored” in our Executive Mansion at our expense.

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  13. Trump’s best move is to pardon Hillary.

    This is because the pardon imputes guilt and if Hillary accepts the pardon, she is admitting guilt. (see United States v. Burdick)

    If she doesn’t accept the pardon, Trump can then walk out and say “we tried to move on, but some people will not accept responsibility.”

    The pardon makes him look magnanimous and puts Hillary in a box.

    gitarcarver (0e8c2b)

  14. I would prefer to see the IG-DNI and IG-State complete their investigations and issue reports detailing the mishandling of classified information with referrals to DoJ when warranted. The incoming SoS should make complete cooperation with the IG-State a condition of continued employment at State.

    I don’t believe prosecution of the winner of the popular vote would serve any purpose other than as a demonstration of the ease with which jury nullification can be achieved in DC. Prosecution of other coven members is a different matter and should be pursued when appropriate.

    Rick Ballard (d17095)

  15. I think his best move is let the new DOJ people recommend something, and then do that thing. He’ll still get accused of IMPRISONING HIS OPPONENTS!!leventty!!

    Gabriel Hanna (64d4e1)

  16. #7… YES!!!

    Colonel Haiku (0e0056)

  17. That Medal of Freedom ceremony today has a definite LA connection–Vin Scully is prominent among the honorees. Being a Dodger fan won’t be the same without him in the booth.

    M Scott Eiland (1edade)

  18. This is but the first major manifestation of his nearly limitless imperiousness. Get used to it.

    I could not vote for him. I never will vote for him.

    Ed from SFV (3400a5)

  19. Maggie Haberman’s a filthy nyt propaganda slut what will never ever stop sniffing that pig her whole life

    she’s a willing and ardent pig-slave, that one

    and she is not to be trusted

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  20. Trump should make a statement himself about this decision, and include in it a reference to Richard Nixon being pardoned for the good of the nation. That would tie her name to Nixon and be a fitting bookend to her public life which started with her conspiring to deprive a sitting President of his Constitutional rights during the Watergate hearings.

    In-awe (faf180)

  21. Lock her up!

    Lock her up!

    Suckers.

    helena handbasket (a940b2)

  22. A president, any president, who makes decisions either for or against prosecuting anyone is guilty of obstruction of justice, at the least. That’s not his job nor his power.

    A pardon is the one and only legal way a president can intervene. I’d very much oppose a pardon of Clinton, but at least it’d be legal. Telling the Justice Department or the FBI not to go after her (or to go after her) would be a crime.

    Arizona CJ (191c8a)

  23. Arizona CJ — you are dead wrong. Every official in the DOJ, including the AG, works for the President.

    Based on your rationale — which is incorrect — Obama has committed thousands of crimes by directing DOJ to not prosecute criminal aliens.

    Its simply an exercise of “prosecutorial discretion” — that happens every day in every US Attorney’s office in the country.

    shipwreckedcrew (56b591)

  24. I’m hoping he pardons Snowden, Manning, and Hillary all at the same time and in the same press release. (And maybe that guy that took a picture on a sub too.)

    Xmas (3a75bb)

  25. Arizona CJ — you are dead wrong. Every official in the DOJ, including the AG, works for the President.

    Exactly. The constitution says so. (This is the “unitary executive” doctrine that mightily upset Democrats during the W Bush administration. Because none of them have ever read the constitution, which says exactly that.)

    Milhouse (40ca7b)

  26. ‘Course, the Foundation investigation presses
    on.

    No, it doesn’t. “But according to former Trump campaign manager and senior advisor Kellyanne Conway, President-elect Donald Trump has no plans to pursue criminal charges, an investigation or further legal action against former rival Hillary Clinton. This includes her use of a private email server and her controversial involvement with the Clinton Foundation during her time as Secretary of State.”

    Remember, less than a week after the election he said “I don’t want to hurt them, I don’t want to hurt them, they’re, they’re good people. I don’t want to hurt them.”

    I predicted before the election that, win or lose, the Trumps and the Clintons would be close friends again within a year. I didn’t think it would start so soon.

    Milhouse (40ca7b)

  27. Exactly. The constitution says so. (This is the “unitary executive” doctrine that mightily upset Democrats during the W Bush administration. Because none of them have ever read the constitution, which says exactly that.)

    Milhouse (40ca7b) — 11/22/2016 @ 1:34 pm

    Looking at it another way, the President does have powers of arrest and prosecution simply by being able to order it. He ha several police and investigatory agencies available at his discretion.

    Bill H (971e5f)

  28. From the link (msn.com/en-us/news/politics/donald-trump-says-he-has-%E2%80%98open-mind%E2%80%99-on-climate-change-accord/ar-AAkCxlt?li=BBnb7Kz)

    President-elect Donald J. Trump said on Tuesday that he would “keep an open mind” about whether to pull the United States out of a landmark multinational agreement on climate change.

    During his presidential campaign, Mr. Trump repeatedly said he would withdraw from the Paris climate accord. But on Tuesday, he said, “I’m looking at it very closely. I have an open mind to it.”

    Mr. Trump’s comments came at an on-the-record lunch with the publisher, editors and reporters of The New York Times, a meeting that was scheduled, canceled, and then reinstated by Mr. Trump after a dispute with The Times over the ground rules.

    First thing to note, this is a copy of a New York Times article CCed under the MSN masthead.
    That tells us the NYT wanted it to be widely available sidestepping their paywall.

    Why would they do that?

    Notice that the two quoted bits don’t match. Almost the same. Addressing the same topic, but they don’t match exactly, so that means the NYT is paraphrasing one or the other and maybe both quotes. When you get a paraphrase of a one sentence fragment that means someone is trying to shape an agenda.

    Also notice that the second quoted sentence fragment doesn’t match the source question as presented. let me show you.

    NYT: Are you going to pull America out of the Paris climate accord?

    Trump: I’m looking at it very closely. I have an open mind to it.

    See. Doesn’t match. Mr. Trump was addressing a different question then the Times claim they were asking.

    papertiger (c8116c)

  29. That he changed his mind, by itself is a non-issue. That he changed his mind without any new reason says everything. That nothing apparently happened between his old promise and his new decision to warrant the change implies that he is either capricious, or that he is a liar, both of which are dangerous in a sitting President.

    M Patterson (7d4d4d)

  30. Oh God, let’s all face it. He’s going to let her slide because someday he hopes a future President lets him slide. That’s his only reason.

    JVW (6e49ce)

  31. I don’t think that precludes Chaffetz to continue his investigations.

    Seriously though, we are never going to get any better answers than we already have on Benghazi. They have buried the truth somewhere impossible. We know she was completely negligent and lied to boot. Everyone knows. I would rather Trump use his time to enact big changes before the Dems figure out a way to stop him.

    Patricia (5fc097)

  32. Patricia, I don’t think there are that many of us left who believe that she is still imperiled by Benghazi. The one Hillary scandal that seems to be largely un-mined is the pay to play allegations involving Clinton Foundation donors, as well as the Clinton Foundation’s playing fast and loose with the money they received. If the new President preemptively shuts down that investigation or tries to prevent Congress from learning more about it, then we’ll know for certain that he is simply unserious about changing the culture of Washington.

    JVW (6e49ce)

  33. I suggest y’all relax, enjoy the holidays, and let the man actually take the oath and start actually doing stuff instead of stressing over every fortune cookie report of the day. The season hasn’t even started, he hasn’t even picked his team yet, it might be a tad early to start dissecting the game.

    You Freak’in nevertrumpers spent months telling us Trump couldn’t win, and it didn’t matter anyway because they are both equally bad, and now that he did win youre bent because putting Hillary in prison ain’t a priority for the guy. When keeping her out of the white house wasn’t a priority for you!

    LBascom (1cae03)

  34. nicely said Mr. B

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  35. Is there anything Trump supporters won’t accept as the lesser of two evils? In other words, is there any promise Trump made that if he reneges, they would finally decide he is a liar and a con man?

    DRJ (15874d)

  36. I’m willing to give him time but I want to know that there is a limit to your patience, or will we be hearing to be patient in Year 4 of his Presidency?

    DRJ (15874d)

  37. I don’t trust Trump but I could be satisfied at his election because I hope he will keep his very specific promises — to build a wall, deport criminal aliens, hold Hillary accountable, stop ObamaCare and climate change, and appoint a conservative Justice.

    In one week, before he even takes office, Trump has backed out of all but the wall and the Justice, and I never believed he would appoint a conservative Justice so that leaves me with the wall. This is disappointing to me and I expected so little from him. It’s hard for me to believe this isn’t disappointing for his voters.

    DRJ (15874d)

  38. The contestants in the Celebrity Cabinet Show are pretty good.

    Rick Ballard (d17095)

  39. We should all probably enjoy a roast beef sandwich from Arby’s and stop ruining our holiday by focusing on something that is still a ways down the road. The incoming DoJ will probably look at the situation. Meanwhile, he’s trying to assuage the nerves of the #Nevers (and the eletors, no doubt) who were unsure that he might not nuke Jupiter before February 1.

    While some of you are still swearing at Mr Donald, the man hasn’t yet been sworn into office. (LOL)

    Cruz Supporter (102c9a)

  40. The Electoral College will not meet for another four weeks, either. He is still only presumptive.

    nk (dbc370)

  41. DRJ,

    During the primaries, I repeatedly asked Trump supporters what would cause them to withdraw their support of him. How low would he have to sink in order for them to turn away. Perhaps my memory is faulty, but I can’t remember anything specific offered, which leads me to believe that as long as he kept making, and now, keeps making Big Promises, nothing will turn them away. Perhaps he is right to believe that his supporters will understand, with regard to the theme of this post as well as any number of other issues railed about during the campaign.

    Dana (d17a61)

  42. I remember you doing that, Dana, and I’m sure you are right. It’s still disappointing.

    These same people were undoubtedly angry when Obama told them they could keep their insurance aNnd doctors, but they couldn’t. Letting someone off the hook because you like them, while refusing to do the same for someone you don’t like, is hypocritical. It also means they think the ends justify the means and that’s profoundly sad.

    DRJ (15874d)

  43. Sorry homer, I know you’re desperate to drag those of us that supported Trump into the pit of misery you live in, but it ain’t happening this year.

    Again, y’all didn’t care if Hillary was elected president, your complaints about Trump before he’s even sworn in are pathetic.

    LBascom (8c2b3a)

  44. I think a big part of the calculus on this change is the fact that 60 million people just voted for her to be President, notwithstanding what she did.

    In addition, there are only 52 GOP senators, and it still takes 60 to get most legislation passed. One of your 52 is Rand Paul, who can’t really be counted on.

    You move forward aggressively against Hillary Clinton personally, and you will significantly reduce the number of Dems who might be willing to work with you. Publicly stating an inclination to not do so gives you a much better chance to get things done in the Senate.

    Finally, if in fact the emails found on Weiner’s laptop were not anything new or significant, any prosecution would still be hamstrung by the fact that the FBI Director made a public declaration that the evidence gathered during the investigation did not support a charge. The only effective way to get away from that pronouncement is if new and significant evidence was uncovered after July, 2016.

    The only thing worse than bringing a politically divisive prosecution of Hillary Clinton on her handling of classified information after defeating her in the election for the Presidency, would be to bring a politically divisive prosecution and then losing in court.

    That’s the best reason to simply let history be her judge.

    shipwreckedcrew (56b591)

  45. The Wall was always intended to be just a big “now Shut up Arizona” gesture.

    urbanleftbehind (847a06)

  46. The reason he’s not pushing for charges is because everyone involved knows that this was political theater, and that Hillary isn’t actually guilty of any criminal wrongdoing. Sorry if you believed otherwise, but you’ve served your purpose.

    Davethulhu (fab944)

  47. Dana, that is because the only thing that actually mattered in the election is that Donald J Trump wasn’t Hillary R Clinton, and that fact will remain true throughout his 4 years in office. So, no matter what he does in office his main supporters will continue to “understand.”

    sean (1d5074)

  48. The Wall was always intended to be just a big “now Shut up Arizona” gesture.

    urbanleftbehind (847a06) — 11/22/2016 @ 3:46 pm

    All I keep hearing in my head these days is Selma Hayek in Fools Rush In saying “Excuses, Excuses!”

    sean (1d5074)

  49. #41 Dana, I think many of us explained prior to November 8 that while some of Trump’s campaign promises may not come to fruition, we can bet the farm that illary’s campaign promises will come to fruition were she to become elected.
    I used to regularly post the question; whom do we prefer to be AG; Christie or Giuliani on the one hand, or Lynch or Perez on the other.
    And now it looks like we’ll get Jeff Sessions!

    For the Supreme Court, we’re hearing Sykes, Pryor, Cruz, or Luttig. There ain’t a squish in that bunch.
    And Mike Pompeo at CIA, and possibly Richard Grenell at the U.N. who are each champions of our alliance with Israel, and neither of them has ever held the premise that ISIS is the JV team or that Iran’s Mullahs can be our partners in establishing better stability in the Middle East/Asia Minor/western Asia.

    At this point in the transition, we need to focus on personnel nominations/selections, and so far, so good.
    The public policies are something that will involve give-and-take with Congress. As Reagan famously said, “half a loaf of bread is better than no loaf at all.”

    Come January 20, Barack and illary will each have a phone, but neither of them will be holding a pen. It’ll be a good Christmas with that fact in mind.

    Cruz Supporter (102c9a)

  50. The problem I see Trump having with this decision and his supporters is, unlike most commenters here and at other political blogs, there are a great number who are not well versed in the nuance of politics and seriously believed his promises. They were real, concrete, would be done, and they counted on that. So much so that they voted for him. This isn’t an insult to anyone, it’s simply recognizing that not everyone has the desire, time, or experience to understand what sort of animal politics creates. Often by necessity.

    Dana (d17a61)

  51. Yes random Paul, follows his own drummer, and he was much harsher on Cheney, than he was red queen, even during the Libyan interlude.

    narciso (d1f714)

  52. i’m thankful for Mr. Trump!

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  53. The reason he’s not pushing for charges is because everyone involved knows that this was political theater, and that Hillary isn’t actually guilty of any criminal wrongdoing. Sorry if you believed otherwise, but you’ve served your purpose.

    On the contrary, nobody in the world believes she is not guilty of criminal wrongdoing. Let’s start with the cattle futures scandal; is there anyone in the world who doesn’t understand what that was about? Is there anyone who denies that she committed a serious felony, for which, if she were charged and convicted, she would have served time? Yeah, yeah, I know, the statute has long run out on it, and in any case such cases are very difficult to prosecute. But bottom line: did she do it or not? Who can seriously deny that she did it?

    Milhouse (40ca7b)

  54. Joe heck and Kelly ayotte, had they not flinched might still be in the senate

    narciso (d1f714)

  55. Bet you no wall, either.

    Kevin M (25bbee)

  56. Buckle up. Trump’s gonna give us whiplash on a lot more things than this non-pardon he was gonna have to sign if a case was actually brought.

    crazy (d3b449)

  57. Isn’t this the third or fourth “Why hasn’t he tackled and cuffed Hillary for the frog march through Manhattan yet? He’s a democrat is why !!!111!!! Told you so!1!!” post since the election?

    What would Trump have to do before you swallow your ego and admit you were wrong during the primaries?

    papertiger (c8116c)

  58. If elected, she’d get away with it.
    When defeated, she gets away with it.

    Perhaps there’s more to it– like she’s ill.

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  59. “All I keep hearing in my head these days is Selma Hayek in Fools Rush In saying “Excuses, Excuses!” ”

    sean (1d5074) — 11/22/2016 @ 3:48 pm
    ==============================================

    You should prolly get that checked out…

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  60. The President doesn’t appoint special prosecutors. The AG does. Whomever he appoints as AG could do it on his own (although this might get him fired). I have to believe that the subject came up in discussions with potential AG’s and we may now know why Giuliani didn’t take the job.

    Kevin M (25bbee)

  61. What would Trump have to do before you gave him the benefit of a doubt in a he said she said versus the liberals press?

    papertiger (c8116c)

  62. Maggie Haberman has somehow mutated into the go-to reporter at the NYT?

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  63. The way this should have gone down is one or more SPs, a full investigation with all the little people reamed sideways, pour encourager les autres. Then when Hillary’s role is know, and she’s listed as an unindicted co-conspirator, THEN Trump pardons her.

    Kevin M (25bbee)

  64. *known

    Kevin M (25bbee)

  65. What would Trump have to do before you gave him the benefit of a doubt in a he said she said versus the liberals press?

    I hear the “she said” part, but I don’t hear Trump denying any of it.

    Kevin M (25bbee)

  66. She just would’ve gone with an insanity defense. She is clinically insane, you know. One can see it in her Manson Lamps eyes.

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  67. She carries the heavier rizzotto tray, coronello.

    narciso (d1f714)

  68. The Electoral College will not meet for another four weeks, either. He is still only presumptive.

    He could STILL quit, you know.

    Kevin M (25bbee)

  69. No, I think the wall will be built and quick, but as a down payment for something 98% of this site dreads. Kaus is making noises it’s possible the Dems push him on it (they should also take a shot at amending birthright) if Trump gets too deep in the weeds of o’care and tax reform.

    urbanleftbehind (847a06)

  70. Every politician breaks some promises to his supporters; every single one. Your spouse would have had a decent life if you hadn’t been around. Your dog is capable of biting the wrong person. Should I keep on making this list?
    We haven’t had a genuine angel descend from heaven to assume the Presidency. Not this election; not ever.

    Mark (b39647)

  71. The problem has always been how to prosecute her on the SAP stuff without prosecuting her pen pal – Bob Ama.

    crazy (d3b449)

  72. Most politicians wait until they get into office before they start breaking promises. Trump is pushing the envelope once again.

    Davethulhu (fab944)

  73. How are the rest of the old ones, Dave.

    narciso (d1f714)

  74. I’m sure glad we drained the swamp and got rid of all the old ones.

    Davethulhu (fab944)

  75. 73.Most politicians wait until they get into office before they start breaking promises.

    So then it’s not the breaking of promises, it’s his timing that bothers you?

    Rev. Hoagie® (785e38)

  76. Doesn’t even get his own lovecraft reference.

    narciso (d1f714)

  77. 75.I’m sure glad we drained the swamp and got rid of all the old ones.

    WE could have a good ole fashion communist purge, take them to the basement of Blair House and put a bullet behind their ear.

    Rev. Hoagie® (785e38)

  78. I’m the greatest old one.

    Also, you should be mad if a politician breaks a promise, regardless of the timing. Saying “they all do it” just enables them.

    Davethulhu (fab944)

  79. The Wall was always intended to be just a big “now Shut up Arizona” gesture.

    urbanleftbehind (847a06) — 11/22/2016 @ 3:46 pm

    I understand this, as do you, but I guarantee you there are a whole lot of people who took this literally and voted for him because they bought into this promise – especially this.

    Dana (d17a61)

  80. I was looking forward to a president recall situation, from the frank miller comic

    narciso (d1f714)

  81. Obama likes playing golf every day; Trump likes being the on the front page every day. I like tweaking Trumpkins.

    It takes my mind off my Obamacare rate doubling, and I mean exactly twice as much. Not to mention that I bought a couple of packages of Polish sausage and a 2-pound jar of sauerkraut and the sausage casing turned out tougher than parchment and the sauerkraut is one-fourth water.

    nk (dbc370)

  82. Crikey that dies ‘toad the wet sprocket’

    narciso (d1f714)

  83. Peter Thiel claims Trump’s supporters “take him seriously but not literally”. Maybe he’s right.

    Dana (d17a61)

  84. Trump’s supporters think “literally” is when you throw something on the street instead of in the trash basket.

    nk (dbc370)

  85. The problem has always been how to prosecute her on the SAP stuff without prosecuting her pen pal – Bob Ama.

    crazy (d3b449) — 11/22/2016 @ 4:45 pm

    Call me crazy, but the thing to get her on isn’t the classified.

    Steve57 (0b1dac)

  86. If he doesn’t build the wall I’ll be pissed. There, I said it. Happy?

    LBascom (1cae03)

  87. Michael hirsh, pen pal to the sepah, reveals his understanding of civility.

    narciso (d1f714)

  88. Toad and Gin Blossoms…when I was at the height of my game and no Hamilton actors had a chance at sloppy seconds.

    urbanleftbehind (847a06)

  89. Of course if it’s because of congress thwarting Trump, I won’t blame him, but I’ll be pissed.

    LBascom (1cae03)

  90. Trump made a 2 minute, 38 second video about what he would do in the first 100 days, and I think (I didn’t view it) that there’s nothing about immigration in there. If he plans to rescind DACA, he’s going to do it as quietly as possible. He did speak about having the Department of Labor look into “all abuses of visa programs”

    This is the link:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xX_KaStFT8

    Sammy Finkelman (081278)

  91. .. If the new President preemptively shuts down that investigation or tries to prevent Congress from learning more about it, then we’ll know for certain that he is simply unserious about changing the culture of Washington

    An even more obvious signal, and one that will come on or begore 1/20, is how (or even if) he insulates himself from the Trump Foundation.

    Kishnevi (4cae8a)

  92. Now what would Hillary have to do before her supporters will stop breaking windows in Blue State America, take a bath, renounce her, and finally register to vote?

    Bounce a few checks to her rabble rouses, grow a beard, and a penis, would be my guess.

    papertiger (c8116c)

  93. The Immigration Plank of the GOP Platform is very clear about the wall. I would expect hearings seeking information regarding cost and scheduling to precede any legislation authorizing and funding the work. The ’17 budget will not be revisited to accommodate any actual work being done.

    Rick Ballard (d17095)

  94. shipwreckedcrew (56b591) — 11/22/2016 @ 3:43 pm

    if in fact the emails found on Weiner’s laptop were not anything new or significant,

    They managed to look, without looking, sort of like the way Google looks at your e-mail. They had a computer program check on;y for e-mail to or from Hillary, and on;y evaluate it for discussing secrets.

    But the problems here are:

    1) That the whole purpose of this thing likely was to make it possible to do things that would violate some probably serious laws without getting caught.

    2) That in the course of establishing, maintaining and hiding the existence of the private e-mail address, a whole slew of misdemeanors were probably committed.

    3) In the course of the various inquiries into her email, many people probably lied.

    And then in the classified documents field, the email may be all right, provided she didn’t pass on all sorts of information to Sidney Blumenthal or others, (but she probably did that by telephone anyway, or in person) there is the matter of the faxes. While it was neever her intention to have anything marked classified sent to her private e-mail address, she did get secure faxes at her home. And she had her Phillipina maid, whom she no doubt trusted with her political secrets, which were much more important to her than any other kind of secret, but who didn’t have a security clearance, handle the classified faxes.

    By the way, they probably still have her deleted e-mails. They need them.

    any prosecution would still be hamstrung by the fact that the FBI Director made a public declaration that the evidence gathered during the investigation did not support a charge.

    He didn’t say that. He said they wouldn’t normally do it. They only bring it in cases where there is another crime involved (but that is so far unknown) or where somebody lied during the investigation (which he claimed in July didn’t happen, but it undubitably did)

    Sammy Finkelman (081278)

  95. Col. H, I took that thing as a satire of modern life, not a satire of religion.

    But too sooth the savaged breast, peruse here
    https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nativity_scene

    Kishnevi (4cae8a)

  96. Milhouse (40ca7b) — 11/22/2016 @ 4:04 pm

    Let’s start with the cattle futures scandal; is there anyone in the world who doesn’t understand what that was about? Is there anyone who denies that she committed a serious felony, for which, if she were charged and convicted, she would have served time? Yeah, yeah, I know, the statute has long run out on it,

    It had already run out in 1994, when we first heard about it.

    In 1992, the Clintons disclosed their ax returns to the New York Times, but they didn’t go back before 1984. Then, in early 1994, they disclosed some previous years and that revealed the cattle futures.

    http://www.nytimes.com/1994/03/30/us/hillary-clinton-turned-1000-into-99540-white-house-says.html?

    http://www.nytimes.com/1994/03/30/us/hillary-clinton-turned-1000-into-99540-white-house-says.html?

    I suspect they did it as a distraction from Whitewater. They had to toss some raw meat to the sharks. The point about the cattle futures was that, by 1994, it could do Bill and Hillary Clinton no legal harm.

    Sammy Finkelman (081278)

  97. Sorry, Virginia, there’s a double standard for rich folks and Trump is no exception. No wonder he wants to drop the Clinton issues. Of all the potential candidates, we ended up with him. There’s probably enough info for the lefties to get their wish to get rid of him.http://www.aol.com/article/news/2016/11/22/report-trumps-foundation-says-it-violated-self-dealing-prohi/21611884/?icid=maing-grid7|main5|dl33|sec1_lnk3&pLid=663830030_htmlws-main-bb

    Judy Eaton (f6efc7)

  98. In a congame, if you don’t know who the mark is, it’s you.

    SPQR (a3a747)

  99. One reason for Trump to say he won’t go after her is that it makes it tougher on Obama to give her a pardon. Once Trump is in office, Obama can’t give her a pardon and the DOJ can do what ever is the proper thing to do.

    The violation of the secrecy laws is clear. It doesn’t matter if she intended to violate the law or not. She intended to set up a server and send top secret material on it.

    What is more interesting is the selling of influence in the State Dept.

    AZ Bob (f7a491)

  100. Remember the O.J. Simpson trial?

    It’s roughly like this, Hillary Clinton don’t get convicted of any crime in any courthouse convened by humans.

    Most likely the judge and jury will be on their side from the beginning regardless of guilt or innocence, but if they’re not they’ll buy the judge or if not the jury and witnesses.
    And if that don’t work they’ll start into killing.
    We’re talking about hardcore socialist klansmen of the democratic party. What wouldn’t they do?
    Why would we want to know?

    Clinton will not be the POTUS in this lifetime. That’s as close to justice she’s going to come.

    Grow up.

    papertiger (c8116c)

  101. You’re right, but you don’t need to go that far. Venue would be in DC or New York. Good luck getting a jury that would bring in a unanimous guilty verdict in those places.

    nk (dbc370)

  102. “Clinton will not be the POTUS in this lifetime. That’s as close to justice she’s going to come.”

    Not so sure she won’t be subject to justice, but if not and ^^^^ that ^^^^ is as good as it gets, it will still make me smile for years to come.

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  103. Bad timing when there’s a meme of J. Beauregard Session saying you guys ain’t spit- http://www.si.com/mlb/2016/11/21/texas-rangers-prospects-sexual-assault-hazing-investigation

    urbanleftbehind (847a06)

  104. I guess I just wasn’t made for these times, kishnevi.

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  105. Winning the future, what us wring with people, rhetorical?

    narciso (d1f714)

  106. I have never heard of Bob Ama. Kinda thought I was up on things.

    Donald (bd230b)

  107. I was #NeverTrumpkin because I didn’t want to have to apologize for everything this guy does.

    At the very least, you investigate. Clapper, the scumbag, is refusing to do a damage assessment. You always do a damage assessment when classified escapes, if you give a s***. Fine, don’t prosecute. But tell the world what you’re not prosecuting. I don’t care who he wants to not hurt. It’s not the goddammed point.

    You don’t enforce the law because you want to hurt someone or not hurt someone.

    Trump has made some good moves. But he’s made some very s***y moves.

    Steve57 (0b1dac)

  108. the sleazy trash at the EPA’s about to get rode hard and put up wet

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  109. 82. nk (dbc370) — 11/22/2016 @ 5:17 pm

    Obama likes playing golf every day; Trump likes being the on the front page every day.

    Trump likes living at a golf course.

    Next to living at the home at the top of Trump Tower he built for himself, but that’s in the middle of a commercial district in a big city, the lower 28 floors rented out as offices, not to mention some stores, not just Gucci and Tiffany, that rely in part on foot traffic, and the Secret Service protections cculd really disrupt things, so he may have been prevailed upon not to spend too much time there.

    Trump went over the weekend to a golf course in New Jersey, and I think he may have stayed there (on Tuesday he visited the New York Times, which is now in a building on 8th Avenue, but they didn’t say where he had come from.) And now he’s going for Thanksgiving to a golf course in Florida.

    Rush Limbaugh worried the other day that that could shut down the airport, because when he went to Texas for the celebration of George Bush 41’s 80th birthday in 2004, his son, George Bush 43, who was then president of the United States, went there also, and he (Rush) tried to leave early, and went to the airport where his (Rush’s) plane was parked, but he couldn’t leave because Air Force One was parked there, so he thinks maybe no other plane can take off from an airport while Air Force One is there and maybe that’s why they always try to use military airports, but there’s no military airport closer to the east coast of south Florida than Tampa. (Homestead Air Force base, you know, was destroyed by Hurricane Andrew in 1992)

    Sammy Finkelman (081278)

  110. s***y s****y

    FTFY

    Perhaps not coincidentally, the security problems NSA apparently had might be related to this. There’s nothing quite as valuable as having both coded and original versions of a message if you want to understand the encryption process. Having thousands of such messages over a long period of time, would be ideal.

    BobStewartatHome (c24491)

  111. Steve57 (0b1dac) — 11/23/2016 @ 4:33 am

    Clapper, the scumbag, is refusing to do a damage assessment. You always do a damage assessment when classified escapes, if you give a s***. Fine, don’t prosecute. But tell the world what you’re not prosecuting. I don’t care who he wants to not hurt. It’s not the goddammed point.

    How can you do a damage assessment, when you don’t know what she said to visitors at the State Department, or elsewhere, and you don’t know what she said over the telephone??

    What you can do is look for clues that she was passing information along to interested parties. You can look for e-mails sent to her that she didn’t forward to a state.gov address, or for e-mails, not concerned with Chelsea’s wedding or her mother’s funeral, or ordering things, or any kind of chit-chat, that she sent from her private e-mail address. What was going on between her and Sidney Blumenthal? And there’s things that are maybe not related to secrets, but could be criminal.

    Sammy Finkelman (081278)

  112. Gendrsl mcgoo, yes he was a dussapointment, then again they wouldn’t keep anyone competent for any period of time,

    narciso (d1f714)

  113. I was looking forward to gabbard at turtle bay, is Haley Exceptable?

    narciso (d1f714)

  114. Autocorrect and he may well be a Gendrsl.

    narciso (d1f714)

  115. BobStewartatHome, I just ordered Joe Rochefort’s War.

    http://www.usni.org/store/books/fall-great-book/joe-rocheforts-war

    “The Odyssey of the Codebreaker Who Outwitted Yamamoto at Midway.”

    The thing is I already know the story. I just never read a book about it. And the thing also is, the guys who lived it probably would have wanted it that way. They wanted to shorten the war, not call attention to themselves.

    I hope the author lives up to the task. I’ve read more than a few bad books about topics that deserved better writers.

    Steve57 (0b1dac)

  116. When the Lubbock boy is right, he’s right.

    DRJ (15874d)

  117. How can you do a damage assessment, when you don’t know what she said to visitors at the State Department, or elsewhere, and you don’t know what she said over the telephone??

    Hello! Is this microphone on? Investigation, anyone?

    Steve57 (0b1dac)

  118. Sammeh rides squirrels like gundarks,

    narciso (d1f714)

  119. The FBI investigation into pay for play is still ongoing, I think, JVW. I think that’s where the real crime is!

    Patricia (5fc097)

  120. DRJ @117, Lubbock boy is on target. But I’ll be happy with an actual investigation even if it doesn’t lead to any charges. It should result in convictions, but I recognize the politics although I hate them. Hillary Clinton committed very serious crimes and the country needs to know even if the Democrats don’t care (or are not so secretly proud).

    To not even investigate is unforgivable.

    Steve57 (0b1dac)

  121. Narciso, its just a different _ollywood, either one will do, Angie Harmon needed a job after Rizzoli and Isles finishes up this winter.

    urbanleftbehind (5eecdb)

  122. Besides, TG has leverage in the other party as the great ______ hope for 2020.

    urbanleftbehind (5eecdb)

  123. Patricia, the real crime is scattered about like body parts after an explosion at a fireworks factory. Take your pick.

    Yeah, there is real crime to be found in the pay-to-play scheme. But the mishandling of classified is no small matter.

    Steve57 (0b1dac)

  124. They wanted to shorten the war, not call attention to themselves .

    Not too many ivory handled pistols in Rochefort’s basement, thank goodness. It takes all kinds of people to be successful in war, and I suspect overly centralized systems are handicapped by their very nature because of this. The paths to “success” in such rat traps are too obvious, and only the least imaginative and most conventional tend to stand out. They will have neither the ivory handled pistols on the front lines, nor the slipper-clad geek crunching impossible problems in the basement of a nondescript building in Honolulu. I’ll check out the book.

    My math teacher in 8th grade was one of Rochefort’s enlisted men. He used his VA benefits to get a degree after the war. He was a very interesting teacher. We did not follow the prescribed curriculum, and I wasn’t too surprised when four of five of my classmates went on to place very near the top in national math contests in high school. Unfortunately, I can’t recall his name.

    BobStewartatHome (c24491)

  125. Well the donations to the Clinton Foundation are drying up faster than a jackrabbit on ¥iagra. I would expect that tells a compelling story right there.

    Colonel Haiku (0e0056)

  126. The building wasn’t too nondescript. It was the HQ of the 14th Naval district. Still, there was nothing special about the staircase down to the basement, or the door at the end of it. All of the ones I know of wished they were somewhere else; at sea, fighting the war. But if the country needed them to break codes 72 hours straight, then sleep at their desks for four hours and do it all over again, that’s what they would do.

    Steve57 (0b1dac)

  127. You’re trying to be more cryptic than me, lol

    narciso (d1f714)

  128. http://dailycaller.com/2016/11/23/heres-what-trump-really-told-nyt-about-global-warming/

    When President-Elect Donald Trump told New York Times reporters and editors he would keep an “open mind” on global warming, the media had a field day and ran headlines the firebrand real estate mogul had moderated his positions.

    But go and read the full transcript of Trump’s NYT interview, and you get a different picture than what was reported by many news outlets.

    papertiger (c8116c)

  129. I’m shocked tiger, they are always on the up and up, and above board, snorfle.

    narciso (d1f714)

  130. You’re trying to be more cryptic than me, lol

    narciso (d1f714) — 11/23/2016 @ 9:00 am

    Somebody has to give you a run for your money.

    Steve57 (0b1dac)

  131. I see the point, both niki and tulsi resemble angle, the one designated republican when waterston was on the show.

    narciso (d1f714)

  132. You’re trying to be more cryptic than me, lol

    Your autocorrect is doing a fine job with that by itself.

    “President recall” (yes, I got it (Martha), but most didn’t.

    Kevin M (25bbee)

  133. Rexall was this dystopia figure, that frank miller conjured up in his anarchist phase, after the first dark knight book, I linked some panels about a month ago.

    narciso (d1f714)

  134. Yes, I particularly liked the sequence of inaugural parades and the war against beef.

    Kevin M (25bbee)

  135. What is the angle of he dangle?

    Steve57 (0b1dac)

  136. THE dangle. Typo.

    It’s miserable, getting the snark this screwed up.

    Steve57 (0b1dac)

  137. Steve57 @118:

    Hello! Is this microphone on? Investigation, anyone?

    I don’t follow you.

    You can’t do a real damage assessment unless she and her aides tell the truth. Any real damae woud have been deliberate, not inadvertant. Nobody outside the U.S. government (or her maid) got to see those classified faxes, unless she gave them away. Her e-mail wasn’t, and couldn’t have been, hacked because none of the common methods of hacking would have worked, no matter what the FBI would like to claim, because it wasn’t GMail or Yahoo, and there was no backdoor password reset, or any way to guess the password, or get in via a brute force dictionary attack, or get to her Blackberry, or get to the server, so it’s only a question of what she told anyone.

    At least through 2013. Someone could use someone else’s computer maybe to log in. but would be limited to what that connection could see. Wikileaks never leaked anything from her deleted emails – the Russians never got in, nor did the Chinese, although they tried.

    Sammy Finkelman (081278)

  138. You can’t do a real damage assessment unless she and her aides tell the truth.

    Yeah. You can do an investigation even if the the suspect lies. Hell-effing-low.

    The criminal is supposed to lie. That’s what they do.

    Throwing up my hands here, but you can’t see it.

    Steve57 (0b1dac)

  139. Shorter Sammy. If the perp isn’t honest, you can’t investigate.

    Steve57 (0b1dac)

  140. LBascom wrote (#33):

    now that he did win youre bent because putting Hillary in prison ain’t a priority for the guy. When keeping her out of the white house wasn’t a priority for you!

    Moronically obvious false choice.

    Beldar (fa637a)

  141. Trump to scrap Nasa climate research in crackdown on ‘politicized science’ – the guardian

    http://www.commondreams.org/news/2016/11/23/shockingly-stupid-attack-science-trump-eliminate-nasa-climate-research

    https://wattsupwiththat.com/2016/11/23/trump-crackdown-on-politicized-science-nasa-climate-division-to-be-stripped-of-funding/

    Some of the people who read past the NYTimes manicure into the transcript.

    papertiger (c8116c)

  142. so they can’t say trump is leaking from the daily briefing, phillip k bump’s latest production involves claiming trump is turning away briefers,

    narciso (d1f714)

  143. Preet Bhahara is well on his way to taking down Gov. Cuomo, it appears. He got and jailed Sheldon Silver for corruption and he’s the one investigating Anthony Weiner, too. Hillary just may have something to worry about in New York with respect to The Clinton Foundation operation.

    elissa (6e7d61)

  144. President Trump giving the EPA’s climate change division* a much needed haircut.

    *climate change division played by Vince McMahan

    papertiger (c8116c)


Powered by WordPress.

Page loaded in: 0.1588 secs.