Weekend Open Thread
[guest post by Dana]
Let’s go!
First news item
Standing up for truth by stepping down:
The top federal prosecutor in Manhattan stepped down Thursday — days after President Trump’s Department of Justice ordered her office to drop its corruption case against Mayor Eric Adams, sources said.
Danielle Sassoon’s sudden resignation as Acting US Attorney for the Southern District of New York came days after the DOJ’s No. 2, Emil Bove, directed the veteran prosecutor to move to dismiss the bribery and wire fraud case against Adams.
Here is a portion of Sassoon’s letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi:
Because the law does not support a dismissal, and because I am confident that Adams committed the crimes with which he is charged, I cannot agree to seek a dismissal driven by improper considerations. As Justice Robert Jackson explained, “the prosecutor at his best is one of the most beneficent forces in our society, when he acts from malice or other base motives, he is one of the worst.” The Federal Prosecutor, 24 J. Am. Jud. Soc’y 18 (“This authority has beengranted by people who really wanted the right thing done—wanted crime eliminated—but also wanted the best in our American traditions preserved.”). I understand my duty as a prosecutor to mean enforcing the law impartially, and that includes prosecuting a validly returned indictment regardless whether its dismissal would be politically advantageous, to the defendant or to those who appointed me. A federal prosecutor “is the representative not of an ordinary party to a controversy, but of a sovereignty whose obligation to govern impartially is as compelling as its obligation to govern at all.” Berger v. United States, 295 U.S. 78, 88 (1935).
For the reasons explained above, I do not believe there are reasonable arguments in supportof a Rule 48(a) motion to dismiss a case that is well supported by the evidence and the law. I understand that Mr. Bove disagrees, and I am mindful of your recent order reiterating prosecutors’duty to make good-faith arguments in support of the Executive Branch’s positions. See Feb. 5,2025 Mem. “General Policy Regarding Zealous Advocacy on Behalf of the United States.” But because I do not see any good-faith basis for the proposed position, I cannot make such arguments consistent with my duty of candor. N.Y.R.P.C. 3.3; id. cmt. 2 (“A lawyer acting as an advocate in an adjudicative proceeding has an obligation to present the client’s case with persuasive force.Performance of that duty while maintaining confidences of the client, however, is qualified by the advocate’s duty of candor to the tribunal.”).
A little quid-pro-quo, eh? IOW, business as usual for Trump and company. What to do, what to do…
With that, it’s pretty incredible that Sassoon has so meticulously outlined her position. There really can’t be any doubt of her rightness in this matter. So convinced is she, that she’d rather resign than participate in this foul soup of lies and I’ll-scratch-your-back-if-you-scratch-mine plan. I am curious as to how Pam Bondi is going to react to Sassoon’s well-cited resources and arguments. Will she just be angry that she has been forced into a tight spot between behaving honorably or satisfying Trump or will she meet with Sassoon? It seems clear where Bove and Adam’s loyalties reside.
Yet another serious resignation letter from a line prosecutor:
Eric Adams line prosecutor Hagan Scotten, submitting his resignation rather than filing "dismissal-with-leverage" motion:
"I expect you will eventually find someone who is enough of a fool, or enough of a coward, to file your motion. But it was never going to be me."
Via… pic.twitter.com/941vGrJzYs
— Adam Klasfeld (@KlasfeldReports) February 14, 2025
Wouldn’t it be great if this adherence to integrity and ethics spread to the body politic? From here all the way to Congress.
Second news item
They never skip an opportunity to make money. Ethics is never part of the equation:
“We licensed the upcoming Melania Trump documentary film and series for one reason and one reason only—because we think customers are going to love it,” said an Amazon spokesman.
The first lady’s cut is more than 70% of the $40 million, according to people familiar with the matter. And they’re still looking for more: Melania’s agent has been trying to sell “sponsorships” for the film—starting at $10 million—to prominent CEOs and billionaires who were at the inauguration, according to people familiar with the matter. Buyers would get thanked at the end of the credits and be invited to the premiere.
Third news item
Conflicting statements from Trump and Vance re Ukraine and NATO:
Speaking to the Wall Street Journal on Thursday, Vance said the option of sending US troops to Ukraine was “on the table,” as well as economic punishment if a peace deal doesn’t guarantee Kyiv’s long-term independence.
“There are economic tools of leverage, there are of course military tools of leverage,” Vance told the newspaper.
On arrival in Munich Vance said NATO remains an important alliance for the United States.
“Europe is of course a very important ally to the United States, NATO is a very important military alliance … but we want to make sure NATO is actually built for the future, and part of that is ensuring that NATO does a little bit more burden-sharing in Europe so the United States can focus on some of our challenges in East Asia,” Vance said, speaking to reporters beside NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
Good to see this from Vance. I suspect Trump will publicly humiliate the vice-president for this breach, sooner rather than later.
P.S. His actual speech before European leaders hit differently. Apparently, Russia or China are *not* the biggest threat around . . .
“The threat I worry most about vis-à-vis Europe isn’t Russia, not China, it’s not any external actor. What I worry about is the threat from within, the retreat of Europe from some of its most fundamental values”
Fourth news item
The Trump administration must temporarily allow the disbursement of foreign aid, a judge ruled Thursday, dealing the latest blow to the administration’s sweeping efforts to halt international aid.
The court order came in response to a lawsuit filed by nonprofit groups that work on international aid projects, as well as other organizations.
. . .
The judge said in his ruling that the administration has not yet “meaningfully contested detailed and credible evidence of harm to countless American businesses, ranging from shutting down programs, to furloughing and laying off employees, to shuttering altogether.”
Fifth news item
Incredible. Deport *real* criminal aliens. . . and make sure they don’t sneak back in:
ICE officers in Houston deported Humberto Romero Avila, a 45-year-old Paisas gang member and foreign fugitive who entered the US illegally TEN!!! times, back to Mexico.
Romero is wanted in Mexico for allegedly murdering Geovany Uriel Prado Morales, a 22-year-old Mexican national, Dec. 2, 2007, in Celaya, Guanajuato, Mexico.
Entries 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5: He entered the US illegally March 22, 2002; June 14, 2002; June 16, 2002; June 20, 2002; and March 3, 2005. Each time, he was kicked back to Mexico the same day he entered.
6. Romero was able to sneak across as a gotaway his sixth time entering the US. Then, ICE found him in 2012 Nacogdoches County Jail after his DUI arrest.
ICE lodged a detainer, took him into custody and deported him days later.
7. However, that didn’t stop him. And again he crossed the border illegally again as a gotaway. ICE found him in Aug. 2013 at the Shelby County Jail following a larceny and DWI arrest.
Read the whole thing.
ADDED
Honoring a hero:
Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny was killed a year ago. We remember him in his own words. pic.twitter.com/pxf0sMMkOS
— Novaya Gazeta Europe (@novayagazeta_en) February 16, 2025
Have a great weekend.
—Dana
Hello.
Dana (966f6d) — 2/14/2025 @ 7:37 amLay off Melania. She needs to grab every dollar she can, as Trump could throw her over next week and give her nothing.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 2/14/2025 @ 7:47 amI may disagree with Vance, but he’s not stupid and he’s not ignorant. What Dana quoted sounds quite reasonable. I hold out some hope that Putin won’t get what he wants. The political cost to Trump of betraying Ukraine will be immense.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 2/14/2025 @ 7:50 amThe New York Times suggests that Trump’s emergency decree on immigration is unnecessary, as there are no migrants currently attempting to cross.
This right up there with “crimes is down, why do we need all these prisons?”
Kevin M (a9545f) — 2/14/2025 @ 7:56 amThe judge said in his ruling that the administration has not yet “meaningfully contested detailed and credible evidence of harm to countless American businesses, ranging from shutting down programs, to furloughing and laying off employees, to shuttering altogether.”
Sure they did. They said “So?”
Peggy Noonan‘s observation yesterday that “the ability of [Trump’s] adversaries to launch innumerable cases within all levels of the judicial system” will drive us to crisis is as well-taken as it is obvious.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 2/14/2025 @ 8:02 amAre Trump and Vance playing Good cop, Bad cop?
Kevin M (a9545f) — 2/14/2025 @ 8:03 amKevin M:
I take from your message that you wished people wouldn’t file so many lawsuits. You might want to redirect that to wishing the Trump administration did not disregard so many laws.
Appalled (0c3070) — 2/14/2025 @ 8:29 amI take from your message that you wished people wouldn’t file so many lawsuits. You might want to redirect that to wishing the Trump administration did not disregard so many laws.
I wish both, but the lawsuits are simply allegations; ones that you seem to accept as fact. In reality, the people filing them don’t much care; filing the suits in front of a sympathetic judge is the whole game. Tying Trump down in lawsuits, of whatever merit, is their only goal.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 2/14/2025 @ 8:39 amIf Emil Bove had a mustache, I’d envision him twirling it.
Paul Montagu (c36845) — 2/14/2025 @ 8:39 amLetting Mayor Adams off the hook for his corruption is nothing short of corrupt.
Vance walks it back.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 2/14/2025 @ 8:40 amVance also said that he didn’t believe Trump would pardon the J6 insurrectionists who committed violence.
I’ll be surprised if Trump doesn’t slap down or reject his VP’s remarks about American troops in Ukraine.
Paul Montagu (c36845) — 2/14/2025 @ 8:43 amCould Melania be getting some insurance for a forthcoming divorce? (This may shock some of you, but the Loser is not an ideal husband — or father.)
Jim Miller (039bdd) — 2/14/2025 @ 8:47 amSecond news item
When they ask “Who is going to pay for these tax cuts?”, we will know the answer.
“The first lady’s cut is more than 70% of the $40 million [from Amazon]”
nk (e955f2) — 2/14/2025 @ 8:50 am“‘sponsorships’ for the film—starting at $10 million—to prominent CEOs and billionaires who were at the inauguration”
So who do you believe is reflecting the official US policy vis-à-vis Ukraine and Russia-President Trump, VP Vance, and SECDEF Hesgeth; or some obscure deputy envoy?
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 2/14/2025 @ 9:28 amEric Adams joins forces with Trump border czar after DOJ orders case dropped
Attorney General Pam Bondi announces lawsuit against New York over immigration enforcement
Had the last administration, including Danielle Sassoon, not shrugged their shoulders at blatant and incessant breaches of the Rule of Law, a deal with Adams wouldn’t be necessary.
And, much like the return to the office directives, dropping the charges has had the positive effect of inducing problem employees like Sassoon to fire themselves.
lloyd (a33834) — 2/14/2025 @ 9:51 amReform UK tops landmark poll for first time
Labour assisted Kamala in her campaign, and seems to be having the same level of success at home.
lloyd (a33834) — 2/14/2025 @ 9:58 amVance with an amazing speech in Germany speaking truth to the quislings in power there.
NJRob (2442a4) — 2/14/2025 @ 10:18 amIn any case threatening Russia with economic sanctions is pretty weak tea, given the multitude of US sanctions (and not including the sanctions imposed by European countries) that have already been imposed. US imports from Russia have fallen from a high in 2011 of $34.6B to a low of $3B in 2024 (-91%); during the Biden Administration imports fell from $29.6B to $3B (-89%) in 2024. Any additional economic sanctions would have little impact on Russian behavior.
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 2/14/2025 @ 10:35 amSource for US imports from Russia data.
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 2/14/2025 @ 10:36 amsome obscure deputy envoy
You mean the guy who actually sits in the room?
Kevin M (a9545f) — 2/14/2025 @ 10:47 amIn any case threatening Russia with economic sanctions is pretty weak tea, given the multitude of US sanctions that Biden imposed … as gradually as he did everything else.
Given what he’s done lately, IF Trump were to impose sanctions on Russia, they would hurt. No external air travel for starters. All payments for pipeline exports held in escrow. All foreign assets likewise. Things Biden would never do.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 2/14/2025 @ 10:52 amOh, yeah. Refusal to allow Russian diplomats to enter the US for any reason, including the UN.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 2/14/2025 @ 10:55 amNot that Trump would actually do any of that as he likes Putin.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 2/14/2025 @ 10:56 amKevin M (a9545f) — 2/14/2025 @ 7:56 am
That would be a fair observation, if the crime rate was not variable, particularly bout the probability of imprisonment.
In New York they voted to close Riker’s Island (a bad run prison, by the way, partly because of its unionized employees) New York City’s biggest prison. and replace it with smaller prisons with a smaller total population in the boroughs, just at the same time when they were reducing punishments through all sorts of means.
https://www.cityandstateny.com/politics/2025/01/timeline-closure-rikers-island/376662
I don’t think the “progressives” sponsoring this – or at least the brains behind this – didn’t know what would happen.
What I don’t understand is how the corruption works. I’m sure it has a little to do with depopulating districts to make it less likely they will get serious political competition, (politicians hate “gentrification” which means more affluent people moving in) but there must be more.
Laundered political contributions from drug dealers or other organized crime, who need their customers to be able to steal but stay out of jail? It’s a nationwide phenomena.
Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09) — 2/14/2025 @ 11:03 amReform UK tops landmark poll for first time
Reform’s problem is that its support is spread out, with few if any majority districts, while Labour and the Tories have many such. In the last election they got over 14% of the vote, but only 5 seats. It’s the main reason why they want to merge with the Tories, who are marginally opposed (and the one who favor it are probably the ones edging towards Reform).
Kevin M (a9545f) — 2/14/2025 @ 11:08 amSo what was the point? He needed to be extradited and prosecuted in Mexico, not deported, and, if not securely imprisoned in Mexico as a result, sent back to the United States for prosecution, or to Guantanamo..
Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09) — 2/14/2025 @ 11:08 amNo, I mean the guy who hasn’t the authority to make policy.
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 2/14/2025 @ 11:15 amExactly how would Trump do any of what you propose? Shoot down Russian passenger aircraft that cross Russian borders? Under what authority? If anything, Trump will lift sanctions on Russia, not impose any more.
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 2/14/2025 @ 11:21 amProbably because there is no legal authority for either Biden or Trump to do any of the things you proposed.
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 2/14/2025 @ 11:27 amMore spitballing.
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 2/14/2025 @ 11:28 amThat’s not the only resignation that came on Thursday. It resembles, without the Congressional outrage, what happened when Nixon fired special prosecutor Archibald Cox.
After Danielle R. Sassoon resigned, Emil Bove III transferred the case to the public inegrity section of the Department of Justice in Washington (possibly to head off more resignations in the Southern District of New York, and then the two men who headed that unit also resigned. followed later by three other lawyers in the Public Integrity of the Department of Justice. I guess finally somebody agreed to make the motion.
Danielle R. Sassoon had asked that if President Trump wanted to release Eric Adams from the threat of prosecution (his trial was coming up April 25) why didn’t he just pardon him, but I can see several reasons Trump might not want to do that.
First, it might be taken as an admission of guilt )Adams denies both the legal theory about bribery and knowledge of the straw and sometimes outright illegal donations while they were happening) and that might give New York Governor Kathy Hochul a justification for removing Eric Adams as mayor, and then where would be his co-operation, such as it goes, with ICE?
Second Trump might prefer a hidden pardon.
Third, Trump or his underlings might be investigated or prosecuted after 2029.
There’s quite a lot of public back and forth about this
Bove’s written argument for the propriety of doing this is that this is nothing worse than what Biden did when DOJ released Viktor Bout from prison (as part of a prisoner exchange)
Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09) — 2/14/2025 @ 11:30 amCountries respect those orders. What would happen would be that after the plane landed it would not be allowed to take off and refuel.
Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09) — 2/14/2025 @ 11:32 amThe dismissal of the charges against Eric Adams seems extremely corrupt. Anyone have a non-corrupt rationale for it?
Time123 (73b872) — 2/14/2025 @ 11:43 amThere were numerous warnings of the dangers of a collision between military helicopters and commercial airlines near Reagan National Airport, so much so that a group was formed that, among other things, identified conflict points, and where the collision occurred was one of them.
There was one incident hat occurred in July 2018 when three military helicopters, who were not warned by air traffic control, took evasive action on their own to avoid a collision. But that happened in daylight in the morning, not at nighttime with the helicopter pilots wearing night vision goggles and with some safety system turned off to make the situation more realistic for the military pilots. The 2018 near miss wound up as a case study in an FAA training course for ATCs.
ATC made at least one important mistake here. They only warned the helicopter (and that possibly badly and too vaguely) but did not warn the commercial airliner.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/13/business/dc-plane-crash-control-tower-reagan.html?unlocked_article_code=1.w04.qw7D.bptyEFOO0b_7&smid=url-share
Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09) — 2/14/2025 @ 11:45 am,
@33
I don’t know enough about the case that would warrant a federal prosecution.
My biggest beef was the timing, as strong evidence of partisanship.
https://www.city-journal.org/article/mayor-eric-adams-criminal-case-justice-department-trump
whembly (b7cc46) — 2/14/2025 @ 11:52 amHave AI run 5year charts on German exports to Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and wonder why they ballooned in 2022
steveg (35fbb9) — 2/14/2025 @ 11:52 amOne thing I didn’t realize initially…
The DOJ dropped the Adams case without prejudice.
In theory, Adams could still be indicted.
whembly (b7cc46) — 2/14/2025 @ 11:59 amYoung Greek lady tells socialists to step off
https://x.com/i/status/1890488221810741711
steveg (35fbb9) — 2/14/2025 @ 12:02 pmFirst news item
Not only has the Acting US Attorney for the Southern District of New York resigned over the Trump Administration’s order to dismiss the indictment against Eric Adams, multiple DOJ lawyers have done the same, in what is being called the “Thursday Night Massacre”:
Bove transferred the case from the Southern District of New York to the DOJ Public Integrity Section, which according to his response to Sassoon’s resignation letter, would seek the dismissal. However, that prompted the other resignations.
More:
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 2/14/2025 @ 12:03 pmApparently Bove (who could sign the dismissal motion himself), has found his Robert Bork.
Time123 (73b872) — 2/14/2025 @ 11:43 am
Bove gave two or three:
1) The indictment was itself improper maybe because it took place too close to an election or because the U.S. Attorney rushed it in order to have some important fish on his resume because he was hoping to get an appointment in a Kamala Harris Administration. Besides after he resigned he was creating prejudicial pretrial publicity by featuring tis case on his personal website and by writing against corruption in New York (without mentioning this case) in a op-ed in City & State.
Bove did not use the spin that the indictment was retaliation which does not fit the chronology (That claim is based that a search warrant was executed while Adams went on a trip to Washington to lobby for money from the Biden Administration to compensate New York City for migrant care)
2) Eric Adams needed to not have his attention diverted by a trial – and this concerned government policy, and that was a legitimate consideration. He said it came from the highest level of the Justice Department, probably meaning that he placed the responsibility on Attorney General Pam Bondi.
3) Donald Trump said at a press conference yesterday that he didn’t ask (specifically?) for the case to be dismissed.
4) Emil Bove said that this was NOT based on any evaluation of the legal arguments or the facts, and it was being dismissed without prejudice, meaning that after the November, 2025 general election another grand jury could indict Eric Adams again (He’s not on a short leash, as people are saying – he would need another indictment, although that could be done relatively fast)
5) Besides Eric Adams’ lawyer said there was no quid pro quo.
Bove said he wanted to investigate and was placing on administrative leave two people in the SDNY for supporting Sassoon’s decision not to make the motion. He said DOJ’s new “weaponization” task force would evaluate all three.
Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09) — 2/14/2025 @ 12:10 pmKeeping Adams on a short leash held by Tom Homan while giving a proctology exam:
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 2/14/2025 @ 12:13 pmhttps://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/02/13/us/doc-annotation-letter-to-bondi.html
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/02/13/nyregion/memo-from-bove-1.html
Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09) — 2/14/2025 @ 12:13 pmSource for quotes in post 42.
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 2/14/2025 @ 12:13 pmin what is being called the “Thursday Night Massacre”
LOL They resigned.
So desperate for martyrdom status.
lloyd (9d6625) — 2/14/2025 @ 12:15 pmWhembly @ 33,
My biggest beef was the timing, as strong evidence of partisanship.
Sassoon’s addressed your point regarding the timing:
Dana (1b0877) — 2/14/2025 @ 12:18 pmBove said the dismissal was warranted “in the interests of justice” and that she should not attempt to make her job easier by suggesting a pardon.
Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09) — 2/14/2025 @ 12:25 pmRather than carry out an order they opposed. It is more upfront.
Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09) — 2/14/2025 @ 12:26 pm12. “Could Melania be getting some insurance for a forthcoming divorce? (This may shock some of you, but the Loser is not an ideal husband — or father.)”
Another valuable contribution to the debates here, aka, the “Kevin, RIP and Paul,” roundtable. But they always focus on boring things requiring thought. Its a treat to you provide snarky things that I might otherwise have to read in Tiger Beat, or Teen Vogue. Or maybe you just posted ont he wrong site.
But don’t stop! Tell us why “the Loser” with grown successful children is not an ideal father. They seem to like him a lot.
And since he’s been married to one woman for over 10 years, why is he a less than ideal husband? Because a stripper claimed to have had an affair? Do tell. We need some entertainment here. Make sure to add the stuff tasteless people used to ask about the lineage of earlier presidential children, Bubba’s affair, FDR’s affair, and JFK’s numerous alleged affairs.
Harcourt Fenton Mudd (0c349e) — 2/14/2025 @ 12:39 pmAnother resignation. This time one of the two prosecutors in the Southern District of New York who were placed on administrative leave:
https://www.cnn.com/2025/02/14/politics/justice-department-eric-adams-case-new-york-southern-district/index.html
Bove had written that if either of the US Attorney’s two deputies had declined to make the motion because of orders fromm her they could contact him.
Bove also wrote that (under the present circumstances) Mayor Adams did not have a security clearance which could interfere with his ability to do his job.
Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09) — 2/14/2025 @ 12:45 pm23. He does not like Putin. But he is not stupid enough to believe, like many salon habitutes in D.C., that its “smart” to treat a man with nukes and 100 million people like a pariah. That may give orgasmic levels of satisfaction to seething leftists, who want foreign policy made by insulting people we have to deal with. It worked so well when Joe called Saudi Arabia a “pariah” and then had to go and beg for more oil to be pumped (they said no).
And if there is ever going to be a chance of breaking Russia from China, it might be better not to insult Putin.
Harcourt Fenton Mudd (0c349e) — 2/14/2025 @ 12:47 pmAs did AG Eliot Richardson and Acting AG William Ruckelshaus in 1973. Your point?
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 2/14/2025 @ 12:48 pmIrony Award winner for February.
The “in this way” at the end is precious.
lloyd (9d6625) — 2/14/2025 @ 12:49 pm“Your point?”
So, the media hasn’t changed in fifty one years. Your point?
lloyd (9d6625) — 2/14/2025 @ 12:51 pmBove could sign a document or make an argument himself. But it’s not DOJ policy to allow lawyers in extreme cases to avoid it.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/14/nyregion/bove-adams-charges-dismissal.html
Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09) — 2/14/2025 @ 12:52 pm35 Whembly, and 44, Lloyd: absolutely right! All decisons are not made by self-important local prosecutors, although I respect them for quitting.
But overkill on J6, the raid on Trump’s own home for “classified documents” of the same type stored in Joe’s garage – -all that and more show that many prosectutions were seemingly launched for political reasons. perfectly fine to stop them.
Harcourt Fenton Mudd (0c349e) — 2/14/2025 @ 12:55 pmThat your statement was factually incorrect to make a point. In both cases, the DOJ officials resigned. In fact, three times as many DOJ officials have resigned over the Adams sweetheart deal than resigned during Watergate.
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 2/14/2025 @ 12:55 pmWhat holding folks back from calling it “Night of the Long Knives”?
lloyd (9d6625) — 2/14/2025 @ 12:57 pm@56 Oh, it’s Watergate. LMAO
lloyd (9d6625) — 2/14/2025 @ 12:59 pmMany of Donald Trump’s measures fall into the 80-20 category but reaming the Gulf of Mexico is 80-20 against Trump. A YouGov poll was 21-79 against.
They renamed Cape Canaveral Cape Kennedy but later named it back.
Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09) — 2/14/2025 @ 1:04 pm57. No American precedent for “Night of the Long Knives.”
Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09) — 2/14/2025 @ 1:07 pmAnother day, another car attack on pedestrians in Germany for which we just can’t figure out the motive for sure.
lloyd (9d6625) — 2/14/2025 @ 1:13 pmhe motive was most likely that he was facing deportation. It was murder-suicide, a possible outcome He had no more stake in Germany.
Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09) — 2/14/2025 @ 1:18 pmSource?
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 2/14/2025 @ 1:21 pmHostage release in Gaza back on again yesterday and Hamas is prioritizing those who are American citizens. They were scared of Donald Trump.
Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09) — 2/14/2025 @ 1:21 pmYes, Sammy. If I’m facing deportation, this would motivate me run over innocent people including a two year old. Makes sense!
lloyd (9d6625) — 2/14/2025 @ 1:21 pmThey renamed Cape Canaveral Cape Kennedy but later named it back.
And most people were OK with Cape Kennedy. Just not the locals. “Gulf of America” is stupid beyond words. I guess he accepts China’s line about owning the South China Sea.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 2/14/2025 @ 1:24 pmRip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 2/14/2025 @ 1:21 pm
Post hoc ergo prompter hoc and his target was generic – meaning probably quickly picked. It is just logical that the did it because it was the end of the road for him.
Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09) — 2/14/2025 @ 1:24 pmNo, I mean the guy who hasn’t the authority to make policy.
And was starting the policy he had been asked to bring.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 2/14/2025 @ 1:28 pmAlthough suspect didn’t die it meant the end of freedom for him. He had to figure that he would most likely die.
Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09) — 2/14/2025 @ 1:28 pmlloyd (9d6625) — 2/14/2025 @ 1:21 pm
If you are thinking about it, but postponing it. You give him less reason to avoid it.
Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09) — 2/14/2025 @ 1:30 pmIt’s the same as “if you strike at a king you must kill him.”
Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09) — 2/14/2025 @ 1:31 pmSame thing with someone who just murdered someone else.
Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09) — 2/14/2025 @ 1:32 pmIt must be tough for Rip, having to ride herd on all of us, point out our “mistakes” and give us his little lectures about how the world works. The time it must take!
Kevin M (a9545f) — 2/14/2025 @ 1:32 pmIn other words, no actual source, just speculation. Given his Internet postings (“Eradicate all those who are bad to Islam”), it is more likely it was to kill as many infidels as possible, much like the attack in New Orleans last year, the Nice terrorist rundown in 2016, etc.
Rather Post hoc ergo prompter hoc, it is probably easier to apply Occam’s Razor, the simplest, most elegant explanation is usually the best.
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 2/14/2025 @ 1:35 pmIt’s actually pretty easy since most of the mistakes are obvious.
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 2/14/2025 @ 1:36 pmIt must be tough for Rip, having to ride herd on all of us, point out our “mistakes” and give us his little lectures about how the world works. The time it must take!
Kevin M (a9545f) — 2/14/2025 @ 1:32 pm
I don’t mind it, as long as he lays off the “LOL” and “🤣🤣”.
norcal (a72384) — 2/14/2025 @ 1:36 pmAs are the fantasies.
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 2/14/2025 @ 1:37 pmI’ve tried my best, but sometimes it’s deserved. I don’t know why it bothers you so much.
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 2/14/2025 @ 1:38 pmAnd if there is ever going to be a chance of breaking Russia from China, it might be better not to insult Putin.
There is no chance. China wants Siberian raw materials and Putin needs China happy — they share a long border and defending it with nuclear weapons is idiocy. The ONLY point of nuclear weapons is to ensure no one uses nuclear weapons on you. They are NFG against conventional forces — you might threaten, but you CANNOT use them.
The sad part of your comments is that you think it’s good to be Putin’s friend.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 2/14/2025 @ 1:39 pmHe also talks to himself a lot.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 2/14/2025 @ 1:40 pmWembley, the argument that the prosecution of atoms was politically motivated, and that that was the basis, for the dismissal seems to be undercut by the fact that the DOJ did not say as much and had no criticisms for the prosecutors. They also dismissed without prejudice, which means they can bring the charges at a later date. It seems like the primary justification is that they need Adams to support Trump‘s policy objectives so there canceling the investigation and prosecution. That’s what seems corrupt to me, allowing a public official to break the law and escape prosecution because you expect them to support your policy initiatives or support you politically seems to me to be very Corrupt
Time123 (90dbf1) — 2/14/2025 @ 1:44 pmSammy, you put a lot of information about that in the comment section. Thank you I appreciate it.
Time123 (90dbf1) — 2/14/2025 @ 1:44 pmThe corollary is that Israel is releasing 369 terrorists into Gaza in exchange, including 36 serving life sentences.
I can’t imagine why neither Egypt or Jordan wants to accept a Gazan population that includes undefeated Hamas terrorists.
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 2/14/2025 @ 1:45 pmMr. mud, one of the reasons that they needed to use a search warrant to get Trump‘s classified documents and did not need to do so for Biden or pence, pence’s documents always seem to be left out of the conversation because it undercuts the narrative that they were targeting Republicans, was that after Trump’s documents hit the news both pence and Biden searched their promises and when they found that they had documents invited the government in to take them. That is substantially different than what Donald Trump appears to have done.
Another difference between Biden and Trump, is that President Biden legally could have any classified document he wanted and store it in whatever stupid lazy insecure way he liked while he was president. He did not assert that privilege or authority. He also agreed to sit with investigators and answer their questions voluntarily.
Time123 (90dbf1) — 2/14/2025 @ 1:47 pmJust linking back to what I’ve said previously.
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 2/14/2025 @ 1:48 pmBiden possessed the classified documents while he was a private citizen, from 2017 until 2021; when he did not have the right to do so. Being elected President didn’t cure that crime; it only prevented his indictment. He now faces that possibility from the Trump Administration.
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 2/14/2025 @ 1:52 pmTime123 (90dbf1) — 2/14/2025 @ 1:47 pm
Tribalists tend to reach for the most convenient whatabout, and don’t make distinctions like you did. Nuance gets in the way of tribalist passion, and just isn’t as fun.
norcal (a72384) — 2/14/2025 @ 2:08 pmI’ve added the resignation of Eric Adam’s’ line prosecutor Hagan Scotten to the post.
Dana (69373b) — 2/14/2025 @ 2:10 pmTime123, at 84: Time, correct me if I am in error, but I belive the raid on Trump’s home came first, with the Nat’l Archives pushing for it, and then–only then–did Biden have the docs stored in his garage (next to a corvette, whic almost excuused it) turned back to the governemnt. Whihc raises questions that do solidify the “narrative” being: (1) why didn’t the “Jack Smith wanna be crybaby” at Archives demand the return of Biden’s documents–that Biden had kept for many more years than Trump? (2), if mere possession is a crime, why was Biden not prosecuted before 2020? etc., etc. And as noted above by our Site Parlementarian and cite checker, Biden could be prosecuted now–but it seems Trump has better things to do than prosecute the former opposition.
Harcourt Fenton Mudd (0c349e) — 2/14/2025 @ 2:11 pmHFC after the documents that were found at Trump‘s place became public Biden did the search or had his lawyers do it to be more accurate. It’s unclear if he was aware that those documents were there prior to the searches. I’m not a lawyer, but I believe one of the elements of this crime is knowing and will full commission of it so not only do you have to have the documents you have to know that you have them and you have to intentionally keep them and you have to know that you’re not legally allowed to have them
Based on what’s known right now, Trump had them, he knew that he had them, he knew that he was not allowed to have them, and he was taking active steps to prevent their return to the government
Time123 (90dbf1) — 2/14/2025 @ 2:28 pmGermany is not a serious partner and Trump/Vance are right to threaten to leave them out of peace talks (of course they /shouldwill be part of peace, but its great to have them sputtering with outrage at a floated possibility of being left out”
Writing on X on Dec. 6, Robin Brooks, chief economist at the Institute of International Finance (IIF), assessed the rise in Germany’s exports to these countries.
“Roughly half of Germany’s exports to Kyrgyzstan never show up in (the capital) Bishkek according to Kyrgyz data on imports from Germany. So Kyrgyzstan is just what gets written on the invoice. Stuff never goes there. It goes to Russia. German exports to ‘Kyrgyzstan’ must stop,” he said.
In another post, Brooks stressed that Germany’s exports to Kazakhstan increased sharply in October, saying: “German exports to Kazakhstan jumped sharply in October and are back near their highs right after Russia invaded Ukraine. German exports rose sharply from March 2022 (the month the war began), which makes it likely these goods are headed to Russia, with Kazakhstan just an intermediary. This has to stop…”
Brooks said that as of September, Germany’s exports of automobiles and parts shot up 5,500% to Kyrgyzstan, 720% to Kazakhstan, 450% to Armenia, and 340% to Georgia.
In yet another post, Brooks also noted that German exports to Central Asia rose right after the Russia-Ukraine war and have stayed high, saying:
“You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to know that all this stuff is heading to Russia. It’s not like Kyrgyzstan is suddenly in a massive boom. This is so obviously not in Germany’s interest. It gives Putin access to Western technology. No short-term profit can be worth that.”
Velina Tchakarova, a strategist, mentioning Brooks’ post, said: “Indian exports of fuel and petroleum products to Germany increased by 1,127%, from €37 million in January–July 2022 to €451 million in the same period in 2023. Germany has bought them at a higher cost from India, and in many cases they were produced from Russian raw materials.”
steveg (35fbb9) — 2/14/2025 @ 2:29 pmA guy who doesn’t post here anymore, but has DOJ experience.
re: Adams, offers this big “if” of a possibility
“I made this very kind of trade in 2001, allowed a defendant to withdraw a guilty plea and dismissed the indictment when it was determined he had access to valuable information connected to a terrorist incident. That was more important that my solid case of his drug trafficking. That didn’t make him innocent, but the pursuit of the higher priority was complicated by the indictment and his guilty plea.
To stand on a soapbox and proclaim, as the SDNY prosecutors have done, “The evidence is sufficient to convicted and my oath is to prosecute without favor so I can’t comply with what I’ve been directed to do” is simply juvenile.
My guess is Adams is going to throw Alvin Bragg and Leticia James under the Trump Bus and that they are indeed dirty.
steveg (35fbb9) — 2/14/2025 @ 2:59 pmSteve, if he has evidence to that you’re right, it would change things. But it seems unlikely that the prosecutors who were trying his case would have resigned if he had such evidence.
If you look at their backgrounds and resumes, it’s hard to make the case that these prosecutors are democrat operatives. Some of them seem to be fairly conservative with very good conservative, legal credentials.
Time123 (90dbf1) — 2/14/2025 @ 3:04 pm90-Time – -So
(1) the Archivist seems to have taken an unseemly and vindictive interest in what Trump had, while never evidencing the slightest interest in what Biden had. And the Archivist acted quickly as to Trump, but never lifted a finger to see what Biden had. Clear bias (as in biased use of prosecutorial power).
(2), you assume, rather conveniently don’t you think, that Biden “didn’t know” what was in his own garage stacked next to his own car, and had been there since at least 2016 when he was not VP anymore: and some went back as I recall, to the 80’s. Does evidence support that? No, it doesn’t.
Biden knew he had them: they didn’t walk into his garage by themselves or stay there for years without anyone noticing.
AFTER Trump’s house was raided, Biden sent his lawyers to his garage (“don’t scratch the corvette!”). He didn’t say “I don’t have any classified docs,” and go back to sleep. He knew. And he got the benefit of the Trump raid to turn back his own docs.
Biased on its face
Harcourt Fenton Mudd (0c349e) — 2/14/2025 @ 3:41 pmAdams staying in Executive office can clearly assist in an ongoing criminal investigation/apprehension involving at least 100’s of criminal aliens- that would not be a corrupt trade.
It would be harder to argue that Adams cannot clearly assist.
It gets muddy if/when James and Braggg get draggged in, but Trump will probably point to his immunity and say “I have no conflict of interest, my only interests are these awful crimes and misdeeds”
steveg (35fbb9) — 2/14/2025 @ 3:43 pmI’m sure by zeroing in on the two, they’ll find something
I don’t see why Trump can’t do both. I’m sure his Justice Department can find the time.
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 2/14/2025 @ 4:01 pmFair elections a rethug front group supported by musk offered 5$ million for proof of voter fraud to any whistle blower in may 2024 have now pocketed the money when they couldn’t find evidence of voter fraud or illegal alien voting. (DU) This has not stopped rethugs from passing more restrictive voter laws like not counting drop off ballots at polling places on election day.
asset (d47d01) — 2/14/2025 @ 4:14 pmSo which of you guys is now the new owner of the Brooklyn Bridge?
Are you going to keep it or slap on a fresh coat of paint and flip it?
nk (d3937e) — 2/14/2025 @ 5:02 pmSigh.
You can’t cheat an honest man. Never give a sucker an even break or smarten up a chump.
nk (d3937e) — 2/14/2025 @ 5:05 pmI’m not a lawyer, but I believe one of the elements of this crime is knowing and will full commission of it so not only do you have to have the documents you have to know that you have them and you have to intentionally keep them and you have to know that you’re not legally allowed to have them
Mishandling classified information include careless handling, which includes forgetting where you put them, or if you still have them. I’m assuming they weren’t planted. Maybe they were last handled by a negligent subordinate, but the responsibility remains with Biden.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 2/14/2025 @ 5:56 pm“Roughly half of Germany’s exports to Kyrgyzstan never show up in (the capital) Bishkek according to Kyrgyz data on imports from Germany. So Kyrgyzstan is just what gets written on the invoice. Stuff never goes there. It goes to Russia. German exports to ‘Kyrgyzstan’ must stop,” he said.
Germany was doing the same things with centrifuge and drilling materials to Iran.
https://www.spiegel.de/international/nuclear-standoff-germany-nuclear-parts-smuggled-to-iran-a-408269.html
https://www.jpost.com/Iranian-Threat/News/German-firms-still-ship-dual-use-goods-to-Iran
Kevin M (a9545f) — 2/14/2025 @ 6:04 pmSigh. The reason Trump got into trouble for the documents is that he would not give them back. If he had given them back, we never would’ve even heard about it.
Nic (120c94) — 2/14/2025 @ 6:15 pmTrump has better things to do than prosecute the former opposition.
Trump might see it as “too vindictive.”
Kevin M (a9545f) — 2/14/2025 @ 6:19 pmIf I recall correctly, a large German company was building a poison gas factory in Libya for Gaddafi. We detected that and told the German government about it, in confidence, The government did nothing about it, so we went public.
The German government didn’t enjoy the publicity. For obvious reasons.
Jim Miller (039bdd) — 2/14/2025 @ 6:20 pmThis has not stopped rethugs from passing more restrictive voter laws like not counting drop off ballots at polling places on election day.
Why does this help Republicans? Or is it, just maybe, in line with their Voter ID movement. Dropping off mailed ballots as if they were cast in person defeats the whole purpose of Voter ID.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 2/14/2025 @ 6:22 pmNo former conservatives on here with any interest in JD Vance’s speeches in Europe extolling the virtues of “freedom of speech” and “liberty.”
Truly sad.
NJRob (eb56c3) — 2/14/2025 @ 7:18 pm102: Nic: there were lawyers involved negotiating: Biden never was given such a demand so he didn’t get “in trouble.” And no elected official had ever prosecuted for such a thing before. The trump people didn’t know there was an artificially short fuse. Kind of like talking to a cop during a traffic stop and he suddenly whacks you with a billy club.
And since Biden never got a such a demand, -ever-and was never tested on how fast he would “comply,” again–bias.
Harcourt Fenton Mudd (d90815) — 2/14/2025 @ 7:55 pm106: NJ ROB: good speech there. stop being afraid of your own voters. Stop suppressing speech. I suppose the U types are all sipping port, and eating cheese and upset at the beastly american.
Harcourt Fenton Mudd (d90815) — 2/14/2025 @ 7:57 pm“No former conservatives on here with any interest in JD Vance’s speeches in Europe extolling the virtues of “freedom of speech” and “liberty.””
Except for tiktok of course, but that doesn’t count for ~*reasons*~
Davethulhu (aa8642) — 2/14/2025 @ 8:15 pmRevisionist history.
NARA knew that Trump took presidential records, lots of them, and spent a year asking for them back, nicely. They became alarmed when the 15 boxes he returned contained over 200 classified documents.
If only the con man had complied with a subpoena.
Paul Montagu (c36845) — 2/14/2025 @ 8:16 pmBogus equivalency. It’s standard practice to give a criminal a break in order to catch the larger criminal fish.
Paul Montagu (c36845) — 2/14/2025 @ 8:20 pmThere’s no bigger criminal fish in the Mayor Adams situation. The corrupt Trump DOJ dropped charges for rank political reasons, to be Homan’s boy.
@HFM@107 Yes, Biden was never given the demand because he returned the records.
Nic (120c94) — 2/14/2025 @ 8:34 pmSince I haven’t said anything about Melania since who knows when, bad faith.
Paul Montagu (c36845) — 2/14/2025 @ 8:49 pmIf Vance intended to piss off most of Europe then, yes, his speech was amazing.
Funny how, to Vance, a Russian terrorist state committing thousands of war crimes on civilian victims is less dangerous than this “enemy from within”, which is straight from Trump’s lying playbook.
Paul Montagu (c36845) — 2/14/2025 @ 9:24 pmMore on Hegseth and his right-wing traveling companion, Posobiec.
Hegseth and Vance want to be Trump’s successors, but they’re pandering soulless hacks vying for Top Replacement, and Hegseth is worse than Vance, but not by a lot. When you’re tweeting from 30 Southfront articles, you’re practically a Russian troll by definition, and that’s who Hegseth is hanging with.
Paul Montagu (c36845) — 2/14/2025 @ 9:50 pmRegarding Prosecutor Scotten, who refused to dismiss charges against Mayor Adams…
The first prosecutor who refused, Sassoon, clerked for Scalia.
Paul Montagu (c36845) — 2/14/2025 @ 10:27 pmExcept for tiktok of course, but that doesn’t count for ~*reasons*~
Funny you should mention TikTok, as bogus TikTok bots controlled by you-know-who was the reason Romania annulled its presidential election after the wrong guy finished first. They claimed the interference distorted the vote, even though the vote aligned well with the polls. Rumor has it that Germany plans the same thing if AfD gets a big vote.
It deserved Vance’s ridicule. The EU structure is designed to prevent voters from upsetting the-powers-that-be, but national voters are, so far, less inhibited. Vance also pointed out that only leaders from approved parties were allowed to attend the event.
I think it needed to be said. And yes, it made him no friends, but sometimes you have to be the bad guy.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 2/14/2025 @ 11:38 pmI may have conflated two posters. Sorry.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 2/14/2025 @ 11:39 pmIt’s hard to know how much of the recent cost-cutting maneuvers make sense; for example, cutting jobs from the US nuclear arsenal is bone stupid. And I don’t see the point of using a chainsaw on jobs and expenses make sense when a steak knife will do the job.
But that seems to be the Trump Way, which is slash across-the-board instead of case-by-case, and then add back when you fvck up. It’s a strategy, but whether it’s a good one, hard to tell.
However, the cost-cutting is for naught when Trump is planning on the fiscally irresponsible route of cutting taxes, which will only add to our deficits and national debt than reduce…
Paul Montagu (c36845) — 2/14/2025 @ 11:40 pmThe first prosecutor who refused, Sassoon, clerked for Scalia
And the funny thing is the judge may tell them all to take a hike and refuse to dismiss.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 2/14/2025 @ 11:40 pmPaul, if you are right the Democrats are making a big mistake getting in Trump’s way. They should let him do his thing and take the credit/blame for the outcome. Once he has gutted the government, and it stops working, he and the GOP will be out on their asses for a generation. Then, with a clean slate, the Democrats can construct a better Leviathan.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 2/14/2025 @ 11:48 pmI heard similar arguments from Republicans when Obama was prez, and I never agreed with it.
However, this situation is different, IMO, because of Trump and his MO, and because of Dems and how out-of-touch they are. I don’t have any advice for the Dems, except to reject progressivism and embrace a more classically liberal approach.
Paul Montagu (c36845) — 2/15/2025 @ 1:00 amBottom line, for me, I’m trying stay in the framework of what’s legal and what’s traditionally conservative (or pointing out what’s not conservative in this current right-wing administration).
Democrat party has a big problem. Donor class says be more moderate our enemy is the left not trump. Elected democrats say ;but we will get primaried by AOC, Bernie and the left! Donors tell corporate establishment democrats you can yell and scream even curse to keep the left base from taking over the party ;but no advocating wages increases or tax hikes. Trump is helping us on the left by discrediting these pathetic clowns like chucky schumer. 2026 will be like 2018 all over again ;but with more lefty primary challenges. Harris was allowed to run on social issues like d.e.i. and trump threat to democracy ;but not economic issues and immigration as donors need cheap labor to keep wages down.
asset (0c5e75) — 2/15/2025 @ 2:24 amHakeem jefferies our donors are happy with us corporate democrats. Jon stewert/breaking point. Why don’t the rest of you democrats “feel” we care about you it would make our donors less nervous and donate more to us. You should donate more to us too as are consultants are nervous too! We need a message so the voters think we care and AOC and the left will stop trying to primary us.
asset (0c5e75) — 2/15/2025 @ 3:08 amAbout Hagan Scotten, whose resignation letter is posted above, here is more about him:
What happens when more and more prosecutors with integrity resign?
Dana (4ed1f7) — 2/15/2025 @ 8:44 am@asset@123 I’m a moderate voter. I don’t want Bernie Sanders and you need voters like me to win.
Nic (120c94) — 2/15/2025 @ 8:44 am112: Nic, I hate to keep using facts, but Biden returned his docs AFTER Trump was raided, etc. No one raided Biden or demanded his docs back, or even asked him about them. No one served Biden with a subpeona.
Harcourt Fenton Mudd (e0ebb7) — 2/15/2025 @ 8:50 am113, PM: I did not mean to suggest that you had. You, Kevin, RIP, NJ Rob, Whembly, Lloyd, stevg, etc., -are staples of the site and stick to facts, or good arguments, and I was contrasting that with whoever the other guy was.
Harcourt Fenton Mudd (e0ebb7) — 2/15/2025 @ 8:53 amNeither have I.
Rip Murdock (de215e) — 2/15/2025 @ 8:58 amOops, my comment last night at 9:50pm is in moderation, not sure why.
Paul Montagu (c36845) — 2/15/2025 @ 9:01 amMust’ve been the name “Roger Stone”.
Paul Montagu (c36845) — 2/15/2025 @ 9:02 amFair enuf, Harc.
Paul Montagu (c36845) — 2/15/2025 @ 9:05 am124: Scotten seems like a good guy, and its a shame he left. But the reaction of many is tempered by wondering: where were those resignations when DOJ prosecuted some guy who walked thru an open door into a public building, took nothing, touched nothing, hurt no one, and left after a few minutes, but wound up facing a criminal charge.
When a presidential candidate’s home was raided for the first time in-oh- 248 years. That seems kind of big.
When an opposing candidate was indicted for the first time in 248 years–not for putting US citizens in detention camps, not for seizing privately owned steel mills, not for lying about the Bay of Pigs or the Gulf of Tonkin incident, but for not returning the same kind of records that the president in the Admin that charged him had in his garage.
Not for pardoning a son who he promised not to pardon and ..yeah well,
Harcourt Fenton Mudd (e0ebb7) — 2/15/2025 @ 9:06 am@HFM@126 So your complaint is that Biden didn’t have enough docs to be noticeable or the right ones to be noticeable, but if someone had noticed and asked for them back then he would also have ignored it repeatedly until he got into trouble for it? Even though he returned them voluntarily? In which case I think your argument is for better doc control for outgoing administrations, because it doesn’t work for “but Biden also would’ve been a d!ck who got himself in trouble by repeatedly refusing to return classified documents.” since there is 0 evidence to suggest that.
Nic (120c94) — 2/15/2025 @ 9:30 amExcept in the context of New York’s restrictions on state ands local governmental cooperation with ICE. For example, Adams has already walked back his own suggestion that the NYPD help ICE with civil detainers:
More:
Adam’s’ criminality was his weak spot, and the Trump Administration is exploiting it very effectively. His criminal dismissal is a sword of Damocles above his head, and can be refiled at any time if the Trump Administration feels he isn’t cooperating enough.
It may be all for nought anyway, as Adams (and President Trump) have high unfavorables in recent polls in the mayor’s race:
Rip Murdock (7fb3ac) — 2/15/2025 @ 9:44 amThe thoroughly politicized DoJ hanging the threat of a *temporarily suspended* prosecution over the head of elected officials to bully them into complying with unrelated political demands … this is the future that Trumpists wanted.
I hope they enjoy it when the worm turns on them, too.
aphrael (ce478f) — 2/15/2025 @ 9:56 amTrump wasn’t a candidate, and there was no “raided”. He was a private citizen who refused to turn over classified materials that he no right possessing. Even his pet judge, Cannon, didn’t object to the FBI search.
Pence cooperated, and it was a one-day story, but Biden showed himself to be the f-ck-up that he is, but at least he had the sense to cooperate. Like the Hur report stated, Biden probably wasn’t aware of classified materials at his office, but he certainly knew he kept them at his house. Unlike Trump, Biden didn’t delude himself into believing the materials belonged.
Paul Montagu (c36845) — 2/15/2025 @ 9:59 amEh, …belonged to him.
The WSJ commended how Ms. Sassoon conducted herself, and criticized how Bondi and Bove handled it.
Indeed, Bondi used poor judgment in passing it off to Bove, and Bove showed himself to an asshole and bully, just like his boss’s boss.
Paul Montagu (c36845) — 2/15/2025 @ 10:05 amBove is there as the Commissar, to keep Bondi in line. Bondi may be AG, but Bove has Trump on speed-dial.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 2/15/2025 @ 10:09 amTrump is apparently going to keep Canada’s Liberal Party in power.
Trump’s Threats and Statehood Taunts Reset Race to Lead Canada
Kevin M (a9545f) — 2/15/2025 @ 10:11 amThe worm has already turned… on you. Enjoy it?
Folks suddenly alarmed aren’t concerned about a “thoroughly politicized DOJ.” They’re concerned the DOJ has stopped being politicized for Democrats.
lloyd (2f88b7) — 2/15/2025 @ 10:11 am@133 Hur’s report mentions the traditional leeway ex-presidents have gotten for mishandling classified documents, and cites several instances from the past. The problem is that Biden wasn’t an ex-president or current president when he did his mishandling. If you’re going to assert differences between the cases of Biden and Trump, don’t cherry pick.
lloyd (2f88b7) — 2/15/2025 @ 10:19 am@lloyd@141 Trump got a lot of leeway, he just didn’t take advantage of it and got himself in trouble instead. I’m perfectly open to the idea we need better document control for outgoing administrations, but the reality is that Biden returned what he had and Trump wouldn’t, which is why he was in trouble for it. If Trump had just returned the documents any of the numerous times he was asked, he would’ve been fine.
Nic (120c94) — 2/15/2025 @ 10:30 amThe difference is that everyone but Trump cooperated. Talk about cherry-picking, lloyd.
Paul Montagu (c36845) — 2/15/2025 @ 10:36 amAll Trump had to do was return what didn’t belong to him when asked by the DOJ. But no, the delusional con man wouldn’t do even that.
There was a several day gap between “Trump had classified documents at his residence” and “Trump had classified documents at his residence and refused to return them after being asked multiple times.”
During that gap, I hardly noticed any misgivings about the panty raid. Because there were none. Making it all about the latter only started when Biden’s mishandling was revealed.
lloyd (2f88b7) — 2/15/2025 @ 10:42 amOne day after the raid:
It ceased to be a serious enough problem after Biden’s documents were found next to his Corvette.
lloyd (2f88b7) — 2/15/2025 @ 10:45 amThe judge may have some hard questions, but he is unlikely to refuse to dismiss.. The prosecution could simply rest their case without calling a witness.
Rip Murdock (de215e) — 2/15/2025 @ 10:51 amIt is bogus.
steveg (c55fba) — 2/15/2025 @ 10:53 amTaking a murder/rapist etc multiples out of the country is better than “the big fish crime” of a airline seat upgrade
As I’ve said, the US should just seize all of the provinces and territories west of Ontario, and Newfoundland for its airport at Gander.
Rip Murdock (de215e) — 2/15/2025 @ 10:53 amWith Adams perceived as Homan’s “butt boy”, his chances of reelection will probably fall even more.
Rip Murdock (de215e) — 2/15/2025 @ 10:58 amAs I’ve said, the US should just seize all of the provinces and territories west of Ontario, and Newfoundland for its airport at Gander.
Fantasy.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 2/15/2025 @ 11:27 amThe prosecution could simply rest their case without calling a witness.
Only if they like being sanctioned.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 2/15/2025 @ 11:28 amDo you have an example of a judge ordering a prosecution after DOJ has requested a dismissal?
Rip Murdock (7fb3ac) — 2/15/2025 @ 11:32 amHunter Biden, after a preposterous plea bargain.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 2/15/2025 @ 11:44 amFalse. Easily provably false.
Paul Montagu (c36845) — 2/15/2025 @ 12:02 pmThe subpoena was in May, the FBI search was in August. Trump was asked multiple times to return documents, starting months after his single term was over. It does you no good to make bogus equivalencies, lloyd.
In that case the judge objected to the plea agreement and Hunter Biden ended up pleading “not guilty.” There is nothing in the record that shows the judge ordering the Special Counsel to prosecute Biden over his objections.
Rip Murdock (7fb3ac) — 2/15/2025 @ 12:12 pmPost 156 revised for clarity:
Rip Murdock (de215e) — 2/15/2025 @ 12:37 pmThat’s not the gap I’m referring to. When you made that comment I pasted in @145, just one day after the raid, you did not know Trump had refused to return any documents. That didn’t come out publicly until days later. Yet, possessing classified documents was a “serious problem” and if it alone didn’t merit a raid, you didn’t seem inclined to assert that. You certainly weren’t bothered by it. Once Biden’s documents were found in his garage and elsewhere, that sort of mishandling suddenly became a whole lot less than a serious problem. LOL
lloyd (2f88b7) — 2/15/2025 @ 12:50 pmDo you have an example of a judge ordering a prosecution after DOJ has requested a dismissal?
How soon we forget:
Appeals court rejects effort by Flynn, DOJ to force dismissal of criminal case
Also:
Judges Generally Let Prosecutors Drop Charges. Maybe Not for Adams.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 2/15/2025 @ 1:01 pmAll the discussions of the prosecutors who resign emphasize their conservatism. But Trump is not operating on the traditional left-right axis, but rather a statist vs small-government or even a change-no change axis.
Conservatives might well feel the long-existing administrative state should be supported against Trump’s attacks, as it is well-litigated and provides certainty to their clients. Conservatives often view radical change, even if reactionary, to be anathema and that is what Trump offers.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 2/15/2025 @ 1:06 pmDon’t really care what the Gulf is called, but those who insist on using Gulf of Mexico should pronounce “Mexico” correctly every time they say it. I mean, why go half ass on all this correctness?
lloyd (2f88b7) — 2/15/2025 @ 1:07 pmAlso “Gulf”
https://www.howtopronounce.com/spanish/gulf-of-mexico
Kevin M (a9545f) — 2/15/2025 @ 1:18 pmThen, of course, New York (“Noo Yawk”)
Kevin M (a9545f) — 2/15/2025 @ 1:21 pmEl Golfo par 72
steveg (c55fba) — 2/15/2025 @ 1:29 pmOf course, the Flynn prosecution was aborted by Trump’s pardon before Judge Sullivan made a decision whether to accept the DOJ’s dismissal of the case, so it is unknowable what he would have done.
What Professor Gillers thinks is irrelevant; it’s just his opinion. And as noted, if Judge Ho decides not to accept the dismissal, it won’t be the final word.
Rip Murdock (c2ce3f) — 2/15/2025 @ 1:30 pmMissouri has sued Starbucks over its DEI practices:
………….
The federal lawsuit filed Tuesday by Andrew Bailey, a Republican, accuses Starbucks of engaging in “systemic racial, sexual, and sexual orientation discrimination” through hiring quotas, advancement opportunities and board membership.
Such practices force Missouri consumers to “pay higher prices and wait longer for goods and services,” he argued, because making hiring decisions “on non-merit considerations will skew the hiring pool towards people who are less qualified to perform their work.” He did not provide evidence for how costs would increase for consumers.
………….
As of August 2020, the company’s U.S. workforce was 69.2 percent female and 30.8 percent male, according to the company. It was 46.5 percent Black, Indigenous, people of color or unspecified, and 53.5 percent White. As of September 2024, the workforce was 70.9 percent women and 28.4 percent men, and 47.8 percent White.
Citing the same statistics, Bailey said in the lawsuit: “In other words, since 2020, Starbuck’s workface has become more female and less white.”
Rip Murdock (65dfe5) — 2/15/2025 @ 2:13 pm………….
On post 166 after the headline should have been blockquoted.
Sorry.
Rip Murdock (65dfe5) — 2/15/2025 @ 2:15 pmRelated
Members of the Missouri House Budget Committee on Wednesday made Attorney General Andrew Bailey defend his request for millions in additional funding and his decision to sue Starbucks for allegations it discriminated against white applicants in hiring and promotions.
Republican members of the committee led the questioning of Bailey’s request for new funds, asking why he needed more money when his office hasn’t spent all it was given in past years.
“You’re asking for more personal service (funding), but you’re leaving $2 million on the bottom line,” said state Rep. John Voss, a Republican from Cape Girardeau. “So why do you say that they’re not funded when I think there’s sufficient room for you to use that? I honestly think the issue isn’t money. It’s something else preventing you from being able to hire attorneys.”
………..
Bailey defended the budget request by saying his office was seeking to hire experienced attorneys to handle more complex cases and to mentor lawyers hired for their first job after law school.
The Starbucks case, Bailey said, was filed because he believes the company’s diversity, equity and inclusion programs and executive incentives are illegal.
…………..
Lawmakers appropriated $44.7 million for Bailey’s office in the current fiscal year and he is asking for $47.4 million for the year beginning July 1. State budget office documents show Bailey spent only $28.2 million of $43 million set aside for his office in fiscal 2024, leaving the remainder, including $1.7 million in general revenue, unspent.
Over the past eight years, the attorney general’s office has had a growing vacancy problem, with more than 32% of authorized personnel slots unused in fiscal 2024. In fiscal 2017, about 22% of the authorized personnel slots, designated as full time equivalents or FTEs in state budget documents, were unused.
Rip Murdock (65dfe5) — 2/15/2025 @ 4:27 pm………….
What Professor Gillers thinks is irrelevant; it’s just his opinion. And as noted, if Judge Ho decides not to accept the dismissal, it won’t be the final word.
Indeed, but you asked for an example and I gave one.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 2/15/2025 @ 5:21 pmHakeem Jefferies after consulting with his donors says democrats have no power to stop trumps tax cuts for the rich and all you democrats stop listening to AOC! Nic 19 million democrats didn’t vote in 2024 over 2020. It will be easier to get them back then continue to try and appeal to moderates. For every moderate/centerist democrats appeal to they lose 3 or 4 base democrats.
asset (952f26) — 2/15/2025 @ 5:44 pmTrump fires the offices that protects are nukes! Now he wants someone to guard them again! (DU)
asset (952f26) — 2/15/2025 @ 5:46 pm@asset@169 The far left couldn’t even get Sanders out of the primary (and no, the DNC wasn’t cheating, he literally got fewer primary votes). You want more lefty people to win, they need to focus on issues people care about and find a way to talk about the other liberal policies in ways that don’t give a headache to blue collar voters.
Nic (120c94) — 2/15/2025 @ 6:00 pmOne, noted, you’re using a comment made literally two days after an FBI search when there was scarcely any information out there.
Two, you’re still confused, because there was no “raid”. The only reason there was a search warrant–a legitimate bona fide search warrant, signed off by a federal judge–is because this rich privileged private citizen refused to cooperate on a national security matter, regarding documents owned by the US government.
Biden cooperated after his lawyers self-reported.
Three, I never said that Biden possessing classified documents wasn’t a serious deal. In fact, when we learned that Biden kept classified materials at his house, I said on 1/11/2023 it was “bad for Biden”.
Paul Montagu (c36845) — 2/15/2025 @ 7:35 pmIronic, you accuse me of cherry-picking, yet you’re cherry-picking. It’s yet another reason why you’re a bad-faith MAGA.
@171 Yes the dnc cheated ;but he did get fewer primary votes in 2016 In 2020 Party establishment ordered everyone to get out except liz warren so she could siphon votes away from bernie so he didn’t win Mass. We fight to take over the democrat party from the party bosses we will worry about winning the election for president after we take over the party from the donors.
asset (5a95e3) — 2/15/2025 @ 9:44 pm@asset@173 If you alienate everyone who is not far left along the way it won’t matter if you take over the party because you won’t win elections and it will just be a party of people screaming at clouds.
Nic (120c94) — 2/16/2025 @ 12:51 amPaul, when you get into a pie fight with a clown you’re guaranteed to lose. You both wind up covering whipped cream, but the clown likes it.
Time123 (494b66) — 2/16/2025 @ 3:20 amThere was scarcely any information, but that didn’t stop you from making your over the top remarks. Then as more information came out, you doubled down on your attacks on Trump and just fit your new remarks to continue to attack Trump while finding ways to excuse the Biden administration.
You were rightly and properly called out for your bogus statements.
NJRob (eb56c3) — 2/16/2025 @ 4:20 amhttps://hotair.com/david-strom/2025/02/15/cnns-kaitlin-collins-promotes-luigi-mangione-defense-fund-n3799861
Leftist CNN reporter promotes leftists terrorist defense fund.
In other news, dog bites man.
NJRob (eb56c3) — 2/16/2025 @ 4:22 ambad-faith MAGA
Practically a tautology.
Nobody pays $100 for a “Rolex” on 42nd Street unless they think it’s stolen.
(Some may suspect that it’s a $4.99 Alibaba knockoff but they know somebody they can sell it to for $200.)
Trump’s suckers and chumps think they’re a part of his grift, putting one over on the rest of us and getting their own.
nk (ebf0d0) — 2/16/2025 @ 5:53 amNo you didn’t; in either example did a judge order a prosecution when the government moved to dismiss an indictment. As I pointed out, a failed plea agreement followed by a prosecution is not the same as a court ordering a reluctant prosecutor to continue (Biden); and Judge Sullivan never had the opportunity to accept the government’s dismissal of Flynn’s prosecution because of Trump’s pardon.
Citing Professor Gillers as an authority on ethics is rich given your views about ethics rules in general.
Rip Murdock (65dfe5) — 2/16/2025 @ 6:57 amThe first paragraph in post 180 should have been blockquoted.
Rip Murdock (65dfe5) — 2/16/2025 @ 6:58 amThe whole discussion about Trump’s and Biden’s possession of classified documents is water under the bridge. One got away with it; the other shouldn’t.
Rip Murdock (65dfe5) — 2/16/2025 @ 7:00 amCorrection to post 180:
Correction to post 180:
Rip Murdock (65dfe5) — 2/16/2025 @ 7:05 am“Over the top”? You MAGAs are delusional, like your Orange Leader. All your guy had to do was comply with a subpoena.
Paul Montagu (c36845) — 2/16/2025 @ 8:03 amOh, and you’re lying that I “excused the Biden adminstration”. All you’re doing is revealing yourself as the lying right-wing asshole you are.
The irony is this. The paragraph that offended lloyd 30 months ago turned out to be true, and my comment was based on reporting from Newsweek, which lloyd failed to link, and I quote…
When I said “if any of those documents were codeword level, that’s a serious problem, storing such sensitive intel in the basement of a country club,” that conditional phrase later turned out to be unconditionally true. Trump did possess 100 classified documents that he refused to return. That’s the “over the top” comment that blew Rob’s skirt up?
Paul Montagu (c36845) — 2/16/2025 @ 8:20 amJust a reminder that Trump’s schtick hasn’t changed since he palled around with Roy Cohn and learned his tenets…
…and has applied ever since and to this day.
Paul Montagu (c36845) — 2/16/2025 @ 8:28 am@185:
Trump is not unique there.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 2/16/2025 @ 8:54 amTrump did possess 100 classified documents that he refused to return.
Including one Iran-attack plan that he shared with a reporter.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 2/16/2025 @ 9:00 am@179
Whatever, Rip.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 2/16/2025 @ 9:01 amDo you have an example of a judge ordering a prosecution after DOJ has requested a dismissal?
What do you suppose would happen if a judge rejects a dismissal, other that prosecution? It was appealed, the appeal failed. If Trump had not issued the pardon, please list the available steps that are available other than prosecution (or plea bargain, which is still a prosecution).
Kevin M (a9545f) — 2/16/2025 @ 9:05 amReposted by Patterico, in response to Trump’s statement that he is above the law…
Paul Montagu (c36845) — 2/16/2025 @ 9:20 amQuestion: Is Trump’s use of the DoJ to punish “enemies” and absolve “friends”, or any transactional political use of the DoJ enough to get him impeached? How about that on top of surrendering Ukraine and turning the federal government into a shambles?
There is a point past which GOP Senators will fear disgruntled voters more than they will fear Trump. Especially if the midterms go poorly. If GOP support drops 5% from 2020 numbers, the GOP could lose 8 seats.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 2/16/2025 @ 9:24 am“I am altering the deal. Pray I do not alter it any further.”
Pretty much Trump’s attitude.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 2/16/2025 @ 9:27 amIf you haven’t guessed by now, I am conflicted about what Trump is doing, and he seems to be rapidly edging into “chaotic evil” from “chaotic neutral”
Kevin M (a9545f) — 2/16/2025 @ 9:29 amAndy McCarthy over at NR seems to be unhappy with Trump’s DoJ.
https://www.nationalreview.com/2025/02/pam-bondis-weaponization-working-group-will-come-back-to-haunt-the-trump-doj/
and
https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/this-is-not-restoring-the-way-the-justice-department-is-supposed-to-work/
Kevin M (a9545f) — 2/16/2025 @ 9:36 amGood idea by the Finnish president, which is why Putin will never agree to it.
Paul Montagu (c36845) — 2/16/2025 @ 9:56 amEd Whelan is fairly pissed off that Emil Bove is a bullying asshole (also reposted by Patterico), but Bondi let this happen…
Dale Ho was appointed by Biden, by a 50-49 vote.
Paul Montagu (c36845) — 2/16/2025 @ 10:02 amThere would also be NATO membership when the next Democrat takes office, and maybe some Republicans. If Hungary doesn’t like it, they can rejoin the Warsaw Pact.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 2/16/2025 @ 10:02 amPaul, they can still mishandle it worse. If Judge Ho doesn’t allow the dismissal, they can try to impeach him. Dialing things to 13 seems to be the Trump Way.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 2/16/2025 @ 10:06 amI’ve added a remembrance of the one-year anniversary of Navalny’s death to the post
Dana (64ed46) — 2/16/2025 @ 10:08 amAt what point does the US membership in NATO cease to help Europe? It was obviously needed in 1949, when Western Europe was flat on its back and the Soviets had the Bomb and 100 tank divisions ready to go. Now, with Trump pushing them to rebuild their military strength, why would they not do that, then tell the US to GTFO and provide their own defense. Not sure that Trump would object.
They may be looking at that now, as Trump and Putin decide they have no seat at the table.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 2/16/2025 @ 10:13 amHere’s the Wikipedia biography of Alexei_Navalny.
Was Navalny murdered on Putin’s orders? It seems likely.
(I hope his wife and children are safe, but fear they may not be.)
Jim Miller (f02413) — 2/16/2025 @ 10:28 amThe House Judiciary Committee is going to awfully busy.
Rip Murdock (65dfe5) — 2/16/2025 @ 10:30 am183 Paul: but no one else was slapped with a subpoena, Paul.
No one else had some harpy at the Archives, coordinating with DOJ, to demand return of documents from a guy, we’ll call “barely out of office and likely to be the main opposition candidate,” although there appears to be no such demand to ANYONE in the recorded history of Archives. Wow! What to make of that?
And -for emphasis–the Avenging Archives Harpy made no such demand to a politician we’ll call JB, although JB had such documents in his possession since the 80’s! How could Archives no know that? If they did not know why did they not ask?
And–again oddly–no one at DOJ stepped in to say “hey, if mere possession of classified documents is a crime, the good of the country requires that we demand return from all recent politicians that have them.” “And if they don’t hop to it, slap them with a subpoena.”
Nope. Just one guy got that treatment.
In other contexts, that kind of targeted action (like the test black voters used to get in Birmingham that white voters didn’t) used to be offensive to fair-minded people.
Harcourt Fenton Mudd (bd6607) — 2/16/2025 @ 10:47 amNo. Speaker Johnson would never let an impeachment motion make it to the floor; and there aren’t enough House Republicans who would support impeachment for fear of being “primaried.” So far, Trump’s enemies are his voters enemies.
See above; plus there isn’t overwhelming political support for Ukraine that voters would be upset. Ukraine is a minor issue among voters, it certainly wouldn’t turn Trump’s voters against him.
Rip Murdock (65dfe5) — 2/16/2025 @ 10:48 amWhy are you surprised? He railed against his enemies throughout the campaign and promised his voters he would be their “retribution.” He’s just fulfilling a campaign promise.
Rip Murdock (e96b09) — 2/16/2025 @ 10:51 am195: Interesting idea, but the probability that French and German governments would simply refuse to help in time of need is significant. It has to encompass stationing of some NATO base in Ukraine, and Ukraine paying for this protection with gas, minerals or something.
Harcourt Fenton Mudd (bd6607) — 2/16/2025 @ 10:54 amMost of what DOGE and Trump are doing have been long term Republican goals-reducing the federal workforce and eliminating federal agencies. What’s not to like?
Rip Murdock (65dfe5) — 2/16/2025 @ 10:55 amHarc, no other ex-president in history refused to turn over presidential records and national defense materials, neither of which were his personal property. Trump was imperiling our national security by keeping them in the ballroom and bathroom of his country club.
Trump’s unprecedented actions caused an unprecedented response. Trump isn’t the victim here. He’s the bully trying to get away with it.
Paul Montagu (c36845) — 2/16/2025 @ 11:13 amNo. Speaker Johnson would never let an impeachment motion make it to the floor; and there aren’t enough House Republicans who would support impeachment for fear of being “primaried.”
It would take, what, 3? A majority can force a matter to the floor regardless of what the Speaker does; all he can do is delay. Discharge petitions are rare, but they do happen. Trump’s misbehavior may become so great that they fear being primaried if they DON’T act.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 2/16/2025 @ 11:14 amthere isn’t overwhelming political support for Ukraine that voters would be upset.
Wait until the images of Russian murder squads hit CNN. Americans can turn on a dime, given enough affront. Remember how Somoza fell? Or that execution photo from Tet?
Kevin M (a9545f) — 2/16/2025 @ 11:18 amUkraine paying for this protection with gas, minerals or something.
Not everything is transactional. Europe doesn’t want Putin the Conqueror on their doorstep. And no, Putin wasn’t forced to invade.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 2/16/2025 @ 11:19 amTrump isn’t the victim here. He’s the bully trying to get away with it.
Him and his fellow travelers and useful idiots.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 2/16/2025 @ 11:20 am194-Kevin:
McCarthy is similar to the “prominent clergy and educators,” who penned one of those tiresome and self-important “open letters” to the New York Times in WWII. Safe at home, they insisted that bombing Tokyo was not civilized, and ought to be stopped, to honor the dictates of humanity etc.
People say lofty things when neither they nor their relatives are on the front lines. They’re not watching their dad’s intestines, spilled by a mortar shell from his lacerated stomach, fall into maggoty mud on some distant island. The lofty people, morever, had no intention of heading to the front line themselves.
I’m no expert, but some seem to see a heavily politicized DOJ, with limited time to address it, and limited time to trim the size of the federal government. That is, really do it, not posture like John McCain, Bob Dole, Paul Ryan, John Boehner, or Mitt Romney who would “introduce a bill” that went nowhere. Or like NR people, who write articles for each other that have almost zero influence.
The NR side was proudly “AGAINST TRUMP,” and would have preferred Hillary Clinton, with all it would have entailed. Better Hillary than some beastly unprincipled heathen, they said. Smart people, huh?
So NR talks a great deal, but have never “conserved” anything. Another side is acting. Unfortunately, sometimes you have to chose between the lofty letter writers, or the side that acts, even if somewhat imperfectly.
Harcourt Fenton Mudd (bd6607) — 2/16/2025 @ 11:27 am211: Kevin – -Putin is a bad man, yes, and the EU claims to oppose him. But the EU does not back that with action. Most of the NATO powers spent the first Trump Admin whining about Trump’s urging to raise their defense budgets: (with the support of US based commentators, who objected to Trump’s “tone,” while missing the real-world urgency of the issue). Today, most NATO powers are barely holding to 2% of GDP on military budgets; Germany has actually slipped back to 1.5% of GDP. (The EU finds time to fine Google, but not beef up their own defense).
So a transactional basis for defending Ukraine will hopefully outlast transient claims to want to defend the Ukraine when they can barely defend themselves.
Harcourt Fenton Mudd (bd6607) — 2/16/2025 @ 11:38 am208-Paul: I’ll stop with this: (1) the “national security” concern was meritless. It was concocted by a side that cheered the commuted sentence of leaker Chelsea Manning, took no action against a US official that had an unsecured server in her home, took no action against that same official that deleted and bleach-bit her server, and ignored documents in another official’s garage. The Trump docs were in locations with private security, and secret service protection. (2) no one else ever received such a demand from Archives and then a subpoena.
Harcourt Fenton Mudd (bd6607) — 2/16/2025 @ 11:47 amA substantial number of Americans- maybe a majority, are reflexively isolationist. They don’t care about Ukraine and don’t want to spend a nickel opposing Russia in Ukraine.
steveg (dd7b17) — 2/16/2025 @ 11:53 amAs Kevin noted, that can change in a heartbeat. I think it would still be a tough row to hoe because the Russians have shown themselves to be very good at applying non-stick coatings to their actions. They’ve been doing propaganda as a national pastime for over 100 years now, and it shows. The other day the Russians obviously said hello and welcome to the Munich Security talks by setting off welcoming fireworks at Chernobyl- and blaming it on Ukraine. Vintage Soviet nonsense that both sent a threat and covered the threat with a bold-faced lie. Nonsense that works because most people don’t care enough to look deeper into the lies.
You can stop where you like, but BS. Three hundred plus documents marked “classified” that are not in possession of the US government is a serious national security issue. Some of them couldn’t seen anywhere but in a SCIF. At least one of them involved our nuclear secrets, possession of which is a crime by statute.
Paul Montagu (c36845) — 2/16/2025 @ 11:54 amRip Murdock (7fb3ac) — 2/15/2025 @ 9:44 am
adams has the better of the deal. He’s giving ICE nothing Or nothing they couldn’t get anyway. Aside from making Adams look like he’s caving in and avoiding criticism. The city is still going to sue to get back the money for migrant shelter that was pulled out of a bank account without even the courtesy of notice or an explanation.
Yes, ICE gets an office at Rikers Island, but they won’t be able to do what they did previously. Co-operation is to be only about intelligence in connection with criminal investigations.
KAthy Hochul probably won’t try to remove him from office, although we still have to wait and see. On the other hand I can’t see how Adams gets re-elected.
Meanwhile Homan is suggesting that somehow the Governor be removed from office..
Sammy Finkelman (505566) — 2/16/2025 @ 12:49 pm217: Don’t pick on Joe Biden, or Hillary. They . . Oh you’re talking about Trump? Silly me: I guess when Archives demands docs from ONE person, DOJ subpoenas ONE person, and then raids ONE opposition politician’s home, for the first time in 248 years, it has to be Trump. Naturally Archives/DOJ didn’t obsess about classified docs in Biden’s garage “stored” next to a corvette, or his unsecure office at U Penn, or Hillary’s home server, because of course, THOSE were secure because ignorance is bliss and they were in the right party. Bias? What bias?
Harcourt Fenton Mudd (0368d7) — 2/16/2025 @ 12:54 pm218 Maybe they can elect Deblasio again
Harcourt Fenton Mudd (bd6607) — 2/16/2025 @ 12:55 pmZelensky says Putin in preparing for a new invasion in Belarus around late summer.
Could this mean that he is thinking of making peace with Ukraine in order to be able to attack, say, Latvia? This possibility must be guarded against.
Sammy Finkelman (505566) — 2/16/2025 @ 12:55 pmSome DOJ official in DC volunteered to put his name on the Adams dismissal motion in order to spare other lawyers.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/16/us/politics/justice-department-trump-eric-adams
Sammy Finkelman (505566) — 2/16/2025 @ 1:10 pmI think Emil Bove III wanted to give a “legitimate” reason for dropping the case, so it wouldn’t look like a corrupt bargain, and he publicized his letter in an attempt to boss around all other people in DOJ, so he wouldn’t get challenged again. That was the point he wanted to make.
Sammy Finkelman (505566) — 2/16/2025 @ 1:13 pm@hfm@219
Mitch borrowed my car and told me he’d return it the next day. The next day rolls around and he doesn’t return it, but I’m busy, I have people at my house redoing the back yard, I’m having a party in a couple of days, I have to clean and cook and I don’t have time to go talk to Mitch. The day after the party Mitch arrives with a sheepish look on his face and my car is parked on the driveway. “Sorry, I meant to get this back to you sooner, but I got busy.” I’m irritated and annoyed, but he’s returned the car, so it’s whatever.
Bob borrowed my car and told me he’d return it the next day. The next day rolls around and he doesn’t return it, but I’m busy. I’m out of town on business and exhausted when I get home and I just want to veg. After a few day, though, I need my car, I notice Bob has not returned it so I give him a call. He tells me, of course, he’ll bring it right over. He doesn’t. I call again the next day. He promises for sure this time. He doesn’t. I walk to his house and demand my car. He tells me he dropped the keys down the garbage disposal, but he’ll get right on it. Still no car the next day. I walk back to Bobs. The garage door is open and my car is not there. Bob is not there. I talk to his wife who tells me that they never borrowed the car, that she wasn’t sure I even had a car. I tell her that I want the car back by tonight or I’m calling the police. I give them several days, but Bob does not return my car. Bob has stolen my car.
The next day I call the police who put out an APB on my now stolen car. They pull him over, arrest him, and have me come get my car. I have my car back.
Bob’s wife spends the next several years telling everyone in the neighborhood how terrible I am for having Bob arrested and not Mitch. Mitch borrowed my car too, why didn’t he get arrested? I only called the police on Bob. Bob’s wife is sure this is unfair and the police only like me and have an irrational prejudice against Bob. It isn’t fair, Mitch should get punished too. Or Bob shouldn’t be.
I am irritated with Mitch, but Bob stole my car. Fvck Bob.
(no actual cars were borrowed or stolen)
Nic (120c94) — 2/16/2025 @ 1:21 pmWell said, Nic. All Trump had to do was return the classified documents when requested to do so. Instead, he got obstinate.
norcal (a72384) — 2/16/2025 @ 1:32 pmFHM, your understanding of the facts of the various cases is off.
Time123 (2fae4e) — 2/16/2025 @ 1:34 pm@224 If you’re going to put forth a silly analogy, at least make it analogous. Again, when all that was known was that Trump possessed classified documents, that justified the raid to the usual folks. Need only look in the archives, as I have done. Only later was it publicly known that Trump refused multiple requests. But, keep pretending comment history here is something it wasn’t.
A raid to recover classified documents only became unjustifiable when Biden did it.
lloyd (e785f8) — 2/16/2025 @ 1:46 pmLloyd, The government did “road” Biden and Pence’s property. It was just boring because when Biden and pence discovered they had government documents they invited the FBI to come and conduct a search.
Had they refused to return the government property a warrant would have been justified.
Time123 (abe141) — 2/16/2025 @ 1:57 pmOops. Should be “raid” not road.
Time123 (abe141) — 2/16/2025 @ 1:58 pmWhen did you know Trump refused to return classified documents? If you say the day of the raid or shortly after, you’re fibbing. There’s a reason you don’t wish to deal with the facts as they were known at the time. At the time, if there was any NeverTrumper here who expressed misgivings about the raid, I haven’t seen it.
lloyd (e785f8) — 2/16/2025 @ 2:15 pmAnd when you invite your own DOJ to search your property, yes that’s bound to be boring. If Biden stumbled across another trove, do you think he would invite today’s DOJ?
lloyd (e785f8) — 2/16/2025 @ 2:20 pmThis is meaningless rehashing of an old meaningless argument. It is amazing the lengths to which Trump partisans will go to ignore the difference between willful intent, and mistake.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 2/16/2025 @ 2:21 pm@232 Willful intent didn’t matter to Nevertrump partisans when the raid happened, and you know it.
lloyd (e785f8) — 2/16/2025 @ 2:26 pmSpare me this “Trump is the victim” nonsense. No other ex-president has behaved like this, refusing to return classified documents.
Paul Montagu (c36845) — 2/16/2025 @ 2:28 pm@lloyd@227 The legal system knew that he had them and was refusing to return them. By now, you and I and everyone else knows he had them and was refusing to return them. The legal system did not share our ignorance of what was happening at the time and you could either trust them to be acting in a justified way or not. Further evidence had revealed that what they did was justified. You can ignore what we’ve learned since then and pretend that you are still ignorant if you want, but you aren’t and neither are the rest of us.
Nic (120c94) — 2/16/2025 @ 2:38 pm@235 I’m not arguing against the facts, either now or then. I’m arguing that your position on the seriousness of retaining classified documents conveniently changed with the known facts, and who the violators were. That hypocrisy existed then and exists now.
lloyd (e785f8) — 2/16/2025 @ 2:44 pmWillful intent didn’t matter to Nevertrump partisans when the raid happened, and you know it.
What I know is this
As you will see, I was more interested in what happened, even though I was not in favor of Trump running. Gave money later to two others and never ever have voted for his. I think that makes me some kind of #NeverTrump, but I’m not inclined to make me lie about facts nonetheless.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 2/16/2025 @ 2:48 pm@lloyd@236 My position is that if you voluntarily return my car, I’m not going to call the police and if you don’t, I will. If you want to argue for better document control for outgoing administrations, you’ll probably get more traction if you quit trying to defend someone who blatantly attempted to steal government property despite the government demanding it be returned.
Nic (120c94) — 2/16/2025 @ 2:51 pm@238 I never defended that. Not once. You’re in red herring mode.
lloyd (e785f8) — 2/16/2025 @ 2:59 pmReal world case:
I sold something on eBay for $160 last November. I mailed it through USPS, which is usually pretty good. Tracking showed it had left my regional USPS facility and then was “in transit.” It remained “in transit” until Feb 12th, when it was finally delivered to the buyer.
In December, when it was still “in transit” I refunded the buyer, filed a USPS lost mail search request, and a little while later a USPS insurance claim (USPS ensures tracked mail for $100). Which they promptly paid. I’m out $60 (or the product), the buyer has effectively paid nothing.
But now he also has the product he tried to buy. My position, which I communicated to him, is that he should either send me the $60 (still a deal for him), or send back the item. I’m OK either way. I have no reason to think he’ll not do one or the other.
But let’s say he doesn’t think he should. Or that his dog ate it. Or whatever. Then I’d be with Nic.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 2/16/2025 @ 3:02 pmI never defended that. Not once.
Of course not. You just deny.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 2/16/2025 @ 3:04 pmHow the F did I get sucked into this nonsensical rehash of nonsensical denial, again?
Kevin M (a9545f) — 2/16/2025 @ 3:05 pmMore interesting: Trump asks Supreme Court to overturn TRO
Kevin M (a9545f) — 2/16/2025 @ 3:09 pm@242 Oh woe is me.
lloyd (e785f8) — 2/16/2025 @ 3:11 pmI wonder if Trump will abuse the No Fly List next.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 2/16/2025 @ 3:11 pmGFY
lloyd (e785f8) — 2/16/2025 @ 3:11 pm@lloyd@239 I spend a lot of time dealing with people who don’t think their baby should get in trouble for, for example, threating to fvck another student up because the other student told them to go fvck themselves and they both used bad language and that meant they were being equally aggressive toward each other. Or at least the other student should get in an equal amount of trouble. I recognize excusal behaviors because I see them every. single. day.
Nic (120c94) — 2/16/2025 @ 3:21 pmThen I would expect Adams will be re-indicted after the June primary. As Sassoon’s letter states, the dismissal was “without prejudice,” meaning that the charges can be refiled after the primary.
The ICE office at Riker’s will probably not be the only ask from the administration. The NYC government has a lot of information on people (and companies, foundations, etc.) that Trump may want to go after.
The Trump administration has Adams by the short and curlies.
Rip Murdock (65dfe5) — 2/16/2025 @ 3:34 pmThe Democrats should vote “present” and not do the dirty work for the Republicans. Like when the Democrats bail out the Republicans by voting for continuing resolutions, there’s no reason for them to solve this Republican political problem. Republicans control the majority, let them figure it out.
Rip Murdock (e96b09) — 2/16/2025 @ 3:43 pm@230 man your position has really shrunk. Now you’re at “even though Trump is a crook, the raid was justified and everyone that thought so initially turned out to be correct you’re a bad person for not being more skeptical as the events were unfolding.” 😂
Time (abe141) — 2/16/2025 @ 3:44 pmHow Somoza fell is irrelevant to the American public, only to Nicaraguans.
As you know, thousands of Americans were dying in Vietnam, which gave Americans a stake in the war. Unlike the Vietnam War which led to protests with thousands participating, you don’t (and probably won’t) see similar protests over Ukraine. There’s no direct US stake in Ukraine’s survival.
I doubt Russia will allow CNN or any other Western news media, to witness their atrocities. They would probably become victims themselves.
Rip Murdock (65dfe5) — 2/16/2025 @ 3:58 pmPew Research poll-Americans attitudes toward Ukraine:
As the numbers show, there is nowhere near a consensus on Ukraine policy, and shows Americans are more likely to not support Ukraine than not.
Rip Murdock (65dfe5) — 2/16/2025 @ 4:13 pmI didn’t think you could do worse than your prior attempt at an analogy.
lloyd (e785f8) — 2/16/2025 @ 4:31 pmI’m not going to engage fruitless speculation, like so many do here, for events that are long past. It’s pointless.
However, to wrap up the discussion about the dismissal of the Adams indictment, according to Acting Deputy AG Bove’s letter to former Acting US Attorney Danielle Sassoon:
Rule 48 of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure governs dismissal of indictments, etc.
Rip Murdock (65dfe5) — 2/16/2025 @ 4:40 pm@lloyd@252 That wasn’t an analogy. That was a direct example of why I can identify excusal making behaviors easily.
Nic (120c94) — 2/16/2025 @ 5:13 pm224, Nic: that’s an excellent if rather prolix and off piste analogy, for some situation other than the one being discussed.
You won’t acknowledge the diff between what was done TO trump–unprecedented demand by Archives, unprecedented subpoena and then a raid never done before in 248 years, or grasp the targeted effort that it was. Versus the total yawning disinterest in the docs Biden had stacked in his garage, and what Hillary had on her server.
Your inventive but inapposite “car” analogy is useless: remember the DOJ is supposed to be a department of justice (you know–“do the right thing”). The US also does not normally–in fact never before–raised an the likely opposing presidential candidate’s home. Ever. The targeting was obvious- -even before the four indictments (one for repaying a loan on time and despite the lender testifying that they wanted more business from trump).
Try to also wrestle with the claimed “they were classified documents!” justification when asking why no one cared about the classified docs Biden had in a garage and HC had on a home server. Hint” no one cared except as a basis to harass Trump.
Harcourt Fenton Mudd (bd6607) — 2/16/2025 @ 5:28 pmBad people said “No!” to Donnie!
Bad, bad people!
But Donnie will show them!
Yes, he will!
nk (a1d2b0) — 2/16/2025 @ 5:36 pmThe trouble with Trumples is that they have no interest in facts.
Their sole mission is to embed a narrative.
nk (a1d2b0) — 2/16/2025 @ 5:39 pm@HFM@255 Ex presidents don’t generally refuse repeatedly to return records to the archives and thus steal them. If he hadn’t stolen the records, no one would’ve come after him. Nobody’s ever be arrested in the white house either, but if a president shot his wife in front of the entire cabinet, I think an arrest would probably take place.
Nic (120c94) — 2/16/2025 @ 5:46 pmAkshually, when the FBI went to Biden’s garage, he was the sitting President.
He could have had the invasion plans for Belize in there, and it would be the FBI agents who would need to be concerned whether they had the security clearance level to look at them.
But sitting President or ex-President, what’s the diff?
They said “No!” to Donnie!
nk (a1d2b0) — 2/16/2025 @ 5:58 pmTry restating his actual position.
See if you can do it.
NJRob (3b8088) — 2/16/2025 @ 6:36 pm259-Nic: what ex-president was ever demanded by Archives or DOJ to return documents? (bear in mind that no one asked Biden, since he had stuff in his garage going back to the 80’s). None? Kind of vaporizes the predicate for your comment, right?
260: Nk-did they go there before they raided Trump’s home, with a warrant–or did Biden fess up to the docs in his garage after the Trump raid, and then the FBI showed up nicely and without a warrant? Paul says mere possession of classified docs is a crime. I think he’s right–but did Biden get charged with a crime for having classified docs?
Harcourt Fenton Mudd (bd6607) — 2/16/2025 @ 7:20 pm@HFM@262 If the archives asked and the former president gave them back, we wouldn’t know (although the national archive specifically states that Obama did not retain any records). Because they returned them. How many former Presidents have retained documents and refused to returned them? (one)
Nic (120c94) — 2/16/2025 @ 7:30 pmI guess we don’t now do we since Archives never made a point of demanding docs back from a former president, and sicced the DOJ on him when he didn’t click his heels together and comply in their time table. People that returned them after trump’s home was raided only establish that Archives targeted trump, no one else.
Harcourt Fenton Mudd (bd6607) — 2/16/2025 @ 7:38 pmhttps://www.thecollegefix.com/teachers-under-investigation-for-allegedly-wearing-gulf-of-america-t-shirts/
Leftists proving that their goal isn’t freedom or liberty
NJRob (3b8088) — 2/16/2025 @ 7:44 pm@HFM@264 You mean when he didn’t comply with the law? People who complied with the law after Trump chose not to only established that Trump didn’t comply with the law, no one else.
Nic (120c94) — 2/16/2025 @ 7:47 pm@NJRob@265 You realize that teachers don’t have freedom of speech at school, yes? (or even outside of school if we want to keep our jobs) If you want teachers to be able to engage in political activity at school though, I’m sure you’d find a lot of teachers willing to go along with that, but I don’t know that you’d like the results.
Nic (120c94) — 2/16/2025 @ 7:57 pmIt’s so good to see you again, nk. You make me laugh.
Dana (d6f8c1) — 2/16/2025 @ 8:36 pmHow Somoza fell is irrelevant to the American public, only to Nicaraguans.
Obviously you don’t remember. Some of Somoza’s goons executed ABC reporter Bill Stewart on camera — shocking the nation — and 2 days later the US dropped its support of the regime. Not only was the American reaction relevant, it was instrumental.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 2/16/2025 @ 8:47 pmThank you for providing the forum and the context, Dana.
nk (a1d2b0) — 2/16/2025 @ 8:49 pmThe gift that keeps on giving:
Jan. 6 Rioters Argue Pardons Apply to Charges Including Murder Plot, Child Porn
Since killing the judges and prosecutors on that doxxing list would be “related to the events of Jan 6th” I guess the pardon would extend to that. Amiright?
Kevin M (a9545f) — 2/16/2025 @ 8:59 pmSomoza fled Nicaragua for Miami on July 17, and the regime was overthrown on July 19, 1979, less than a month after Stewart’s murder.
He was denied entry to the US and fled to Alfredo Stroessner’s Paraguay, were he was assassinated roughly a year later.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 2/16/2025 @ 9:05 pmWhich is nonsensical. I already said that it was “bad for Biden” that he kept classified materials, which brought zero resistance from the MAGA Coffee Claque. The resistance was all from your right-wing ilk about Trump’s confirmed obstruction, so the hypocrisy is from you.
Paul Montagu (c36845) — 2/16/2025 @ 9:09 pmBTW, lloyd, two days earlier, on 8/8/2022, I said…
Nailed it.
Paul Montagu (c36845) — 2/16/2025 @ 9:15 pmI feel sorry for the never trump republicans who can only whine here as their republican representatives are trumpers or at least pretend to be for their political future. As a democrat I can go to my district meetings and demand they oppose working with trump or will anyone here primary corporate donor class stooges and run these bums out of office?
asset (d6dbd7) — 2/16/2025 @ 9:21 pmwill anyone here primary corporate donor class stooges and run these bums out of office?
asset (d6dbd7) — 2/16/2025 @ 9:21 pm
McGovern was rather left, and he was trounced. To be successful, Democrats need to give up the trans excesses, DEI, lax immigration enforcement, and soft-on-crime policies.
norcal (a72384) — 2/16/2025 @ 9:40 pm@276 This is not 1972 party demographics totally different. The issues you talk about are what the donor class allowed harris and the democrats to run on. Bernie Sanders wing of the party wanted to run on increase in minimum wage, health care coverage and raising taxes on the wealthy. Donor class told harris and d.n.c.radical social issues like trans issues DEI immigration crime don’t cost us money run on them if you want $$$ for your consultants to get rich. Donor class hates Bernie Sanders and his minimum wage increase and taxing the rich. Hakim jefferies just went out to silicon valley to tell donors we will tell the their is nothing we can do to stop trump from giving you tax cuts. Jefferies and other democrats complain democrat voters keeps calling them demanding action instead of answering their donation calls! These rats are getting worried we will primary these corporate stooges for working with trump for tax cuts for their donors.
asset (d6dbd7) — 2/17/2025 @ 2:27 amFor those interested in such things: When I picked up a Sunday Seattle Times yesterday at the nearest Metropolitan store, I checked and found that their price for a dozen large eggs is still $3.49. There was no mention of any limit per buyer.
(For those not familiar with this little local chain: Compared to two Kroger stores where I regularly shop, they have higher prices on canned goods, better quality on produce, and carry some exotics that aren’t found everywhere. For example, yesterday I noticed that they had both duck eggs and quail eggs for sale, along with a wide variety of chicken eggs.)
Jim Miller (05a8f8) — 2/17/2025 @ 6:59 amFor asset: Three thoughts: First, Bernie Sanders is now a three-house owning millionaire. (Thanks mostly to large publishing corporations.)
Second, his early family life is not entirely admirable.
Third, Sanders claims to be a Democratic Socialist, but, judged by his early record, the second part is important to him, but the first is not.
Jim Miller (05a8f8) — 2/17/2025 @ 7:19 amMnichovská Zrada, which is Polish for Betrayal at Munich.
Paul Montagu (c36845) — 2/17/2025 @ 8:14 amSo what? As you described it, neither Somoza’s fall (or the killing of journalists) had an impact on the American public; the only impact was on Nicaraguan politics. As you noted, Somoza’s fall occurred during the weak-kneed Carter years. Most Americans probably didn’t care on way or the other.
Politically, Somoza’s fall had no political consequences to either Republican or Democratic electoral chances; and neither will Ukraine’s. It’s just not that an important issue for the majority of Americans.
Rip Murdock (65dfe5) — 2/17/2025 @ 8:37 amAmerica, we have a problem, because this bit of Trump worship is cringe and stupid and cultish.
Paul Montagu (c36845) — 2/17/2025 @ 8:42 amKevin M (a9545f) — 2/16/2025 @ 8:47 pm:
You may recall the street protests against the Somoza regime; I certainly don’t. As your quote points out, Stewart’s death was filmed. I don’t expect the Russians to let that happen. In any event, since Putin has survived worldwide criticism of his invasion of Ukraine for three years now, and has an iron grip on the Russian media, I’m sure he could survive stories of atrocities, (as he has so far.) Trump is no Jimmy Carter.
Rip Murdock (65dfe5) — 2/17/2025 @ 9:11 am@81
Here’s what we’re running up against.
These lawyers sees themselves as “independent” from main justice, and their behaviors substantiate that. That. Is. A. Problem.
In resigning so loudly, they have effectively convicted Adams in the court of public opinion. The presumption of innocence is once again ignored, and the state gets to tell its side while the defense has no opportunity to present theirs.
What should’ve happened, is simply walk away and resign.
Prosecuting Adams based on the facts developed was obviously important to the BIDEN DOJ.
Now that this is Trump’s DOJ, going forward on teh same facts may not be as important to Trump, and there are policy goals in play that may play a greater significance.
We don’t know, but there are usually a ton of behind-the-scene activity, such that Adam’s lawyer may have made a proffer as a cooperator. That the Biden DOJ may not be interested because it involved democratic political allies of the Biden admin in NY.
Guess what, there’s a new administration and it should accepted that these are reviewed.
Furthermore, there a whole lot of previous cases (McDaniels) that SCOTUS overturned. (ie, distinguishing gratuity v. bribes). So, call BS on the assessment that this Adam’s case is such a slam dunk.
But since the usual NeverTrumpers (and liberals) are singing the praises of these resignation… keep these thing in mind:
whembly (b7cc46) — 2/17/2025 @ 9:17 am-Bove and Blanch both worked for several years as: Assistant U.S. Attorneys in the Southern District of New York.
@84
You are 100% incorrect.
Those classified documents were from his Senate/VP days. He had ZERO declassification authority.
whembly (b7cc46) — 2/17/2025 @ 9:19 am@102
Sigh… the dispute, as always been, whether or not they were classified to begin with.
whembly (b7cc46) — 2/17/2025 @ 9:38 am@140
We warned them.
Now that want to act like the 8 years didn’t happen.
They’re realizing the bed they made themselves and is now getting worried.
If there was every a “I told you so” moment… it’s here now.
whembly (b7cc46) — 2/17/2025 @ 9:44 am@232
Bruh… Biden keep classified docs since the 80’s is by definition ‘willful intent’.
You 1st have to get them AT the SCIF.
You then have to squirrel them away from the SCIF. (apparently, the guard doesn’t do a search when Congresscritters leaves).
You then have to STORE them at some places (which was MOVED at least 3 times).
I don’t know how willfully you can be??Q!?!
whembly (b7cc46) — 2/17/2025 @ 9:56 am@234
Nah.
whembly (b7cc46) — 2/17/2025 @ 9:56 amFalse. They were marked classified, and there’s no evidence Trump declassified anything. Everyone but Trump cooperated with the feds.
Paul Montagu (c36845) — 2/17/2025 @ 10:32 amwhembly:
If Bove honestly believed that the charges against Adams had an appearence of impropriety about them, the thing to do was to ask the judge to dismiss the charges with prejudice. The impropriety was not going to go away with the passage of time. It should be noted that the judge had considered an denied motions complaining about the timing ofwhen the case was brought.
These guys aren’t subtle, whembly. ICE wasts to raid NYC’s prisons and wants to coerce the mayor to let them do it. The threat of jail time concentrates the mind admirably, but has nothing to do with how the law is supposed to be administered.
I don’t think the judge can keep the prosecution alive and should not contort the law to accomplish it. Instead, he should dismiss with prejudice.
In my perect world, the New York governor should then use her power to fire the mayor.
Appalled (1d5132) — 2/17/2025 @ 10:34 am@290
“marked classified” doesn’t automatically means it IS classified.
Declassified documents ARE “marked classified”.
It’s a weasel wording.
whembly (b7cc46) — 2/17/2025 @ 10:54 am@291 Appalled (1d5132) — 2/17/2025 @ 10:34 am
No, I think “WITHOUT” prejudice is the right call.
There’s a difference between prosecuting with maladministration versus, prosecution based on preferred policies.
Furthermore, the DOJ don’t have the usual federal court cases’ success rate with these types of indictments. (see the McDaniels case fyi).
To my knowledge, Adams didn’t pull a Menendez Gold Bar act.
whembly (b7cc46) — 2/17/2025 @ 10:57 amI checked and found that their price for a dozen large eggs is still $3.49.
But do they have any?
Kevin M (a9545f) — 2/17/2025 @ 11:02 amAs you described it, neither Somoza’s fall (or the killing of journalists) had an impact on the American public
You are trying too hard to miss the point. The American public’s reaction caused the fall as the loss of American support against the Sandinistas made Somoza’s position untenable.
Your argument, way back when, was that the American public would not care about what happens somewhere else and the Somoza case showed that, at least sometimes, they do and when that happens the effect can be enormous.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 2/17/2025 @ 11:07 amStewart’s death was filmed. I don’t expect the Russians to let that happen
The three journalists in the ABC truck also didn’t expect to escape with their film, or their lives. But they did.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 2/17/2025 @ 11:09 amI’m not so sure about that. If he left SCI documents in a Starbuck’s toilet and they ended up on the Internet, it would not be “OK.” Whether the newer presidential immunity rule would protect him after he left office is not at all clear either.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 2/17/2025 @ 11:13 amYou 1st have to get them AT the SCIF.
Not all classified documents are restricted to a SCIF. Confidential and Secret material require only a moderate level of security (“Good quality commercial physical security standards generally suffice for lower levels of classification” — wikipedia). A SCIF is primarily designed for TS:SCI information.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 2/17/2025 @ 11:24 amDid you know that Mar-a-Lago and the Trump Tower both had SCIFs during Trump’s presidency? But probably not in the ballroom.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 2/17/2025 @ 11:27 amIn my perect world, the New York governor should then use her power to fire the mayor.
In MY perfect world she should find a way to study the issue until ICE has cleared out her jails, letting Adams take the blame for it.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 2/17/2025 @ 11:31 am@whembly@280 It makes it worse if they were classified, but no, the dispute was that they were not his to keep.
Nic (120c94) — 2/17/2025 @ 11:33 am@302 @whembly@280 It makes it worse if they were classified, but no, the dispute was that they were not his to keep.
Nic (120c94) — 2/17/2025 @ 11:33 am
You’re right, it was a dispute.
Not a vetted statement of facts that was adjudicated in court.
whembly (b7cc46) — 2/17/2025 @ 11:55 amHow bad is Trump’s plan for Ukraine?
Bend over
Kevin M (a9545f) — 2/17/2025 @ 11:56 am#294 Kevin – Metropolitan had about as many eggs as they usually do. Possibly a greater variety, though I have paid little attention to the premium versions in the past.
FWIW, their price on a half gallon of lactose-free milk was lower than what I have seen recently in Kroger outlets like QFC.
Jim Miller (05a8f8) — 2/17/2025 @ 12:01 pmlactose-free milk
Oxymoron. But not as bad as almond milk since almonds cannot lactate.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 2/17/2025 @ 12:02 pmNo, after the November 2025 general election. indictment.
Makes you think the Trump people were not following New York City politics..or looking for an excuse to postpone this case as much as possible.
Bove could also have tried the expiration of his term, but the biggest excuse for dropping the case was that prosecution could affect the election.
I haven’t heard anything about the possibility of Eric Adams running on a third party ticket or campaigning as a write-in, as happened in Buffalo..
Sammy Finkelman (401b23) — 2/17/2025 @ 12:04 pmPerhaps Metropolitan hopes to get people in the store for a loss-leader (and how many eggs can they use anyway) and then sell them other things at high prices.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 2/17/2025 @ 12:05 pmI haven’t heard anything about the possibility of Eric Adams running on a third party ticket
He looked at running as a Republican but apparently the GOP declined.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 2/17/2025 @ 12:06 pm@Whembly@302 He was subpoena’d to return them. The court had made a decision.
Nic (120c94) — 2/17/2025 @ 12:12 pmRe: refiled.
I think they would need a fresh inndictment.
They were pondering a superseding indictment. They accused Adams of 3 three things – his lawyer only denied one (destroying evidence) but not telling others to do so or telling people to lie to the FBI.
His lawyer said they had been threatening a superseding indictment for months, and if they had a (good case) they would have brought it.
There was a leak about a week or two ago about this supposedly being a recorded conversation.
Sammy Finkelman (401b23) — 2/17/2025 @ 12:14 pmKevin M (a9545f) — 2/17/2025 @ 12:06 pm
He could have re-registered as a Republican until the deadline of February 14 I think, but this would have precluded him running in the Democratic primary. (without special permission)
In order for a non-member to run in the Republican )or any party) primary, for citywide office, a candidate needs he permision of 3 of the 5 county chairs, He onlly had that of Manhattan I think, (New York County)
Sammy Finkelman (401b23) — 2/17/2025 @ 12:20 pmBimbo eruption at CBS:
lloyd (9c66e9) — 2/17/2025 @ 12:23 pm@309
“any documents with classified markings”.
Not document XYZ and VIX.
The dispute was whether Trump’s lawyers, on good faith, fulfilled that subpoena…
Hence why the raid whereby the FBI said they found additional “classified markings” and “nation defense information”.
What’s untested, was whether or not Trump had the rights to those documents under the Presidential Records Act.
whembly (b7cc46) — 2/17/2025 @ 12:35 pmVon Trapp Family Crosses The Alps Into Switzerland To Escape Free Speech.
lloyd (9c66e9) — 2/17/2025 @ 12:36 pmMarco Rubio is good. The majority of politi cians wouldn’t have given such an apt response. He was familiar with the Nazi period.
Margaret Brennan got confused between saying something now (when anti-semitism might fall into the category of a free speech issue) and the same thing said then.
Sammy Finkelman (401b23) — 2/17/2025 @ 1:17 pmAaannndd why is that?
Colonel Klink (ret) (96f56a) — 2/17/2025 @ 1:20 pmAlthough there are probably no polls showing this, if Mayor Adams had run in the Republican primary, he would have been crushed by Curtis Sliwa. So that was not a hope for him.
Crtis Sliwa and Frank Marano – and also Anthony Weiner – have been off the air since Friday am (or just before) because they are running fir elective office. I think the petition period has begun.
Nancy Sliwa is still on the air on WABC 770 Am,
Sammy Finkelman (401b23) — 2/17/2025 @ 1:21 pmYesterday Mayor Adams met with four of his deputy mayors in an attempt to persuade them not to resign. (They do not appear to be people who had been under investigation or were served with a search warrant, like the people who resigned earlier)
They all resigned but agreed to stay oon fora few weeks,
There appears to have been misconduct that Eric Adams was not involved in.
Sammy Finkelman (401b23) — 2/17/2025 @ 1:25 pmBecause a president can argue that what he is retaining is a personal record. The truth is all was so regarded until Nixon.
Sammy Finkelman (401b23) — 2/17/2025 @ 1:26 pmThere’s no point in half measures.
Rip Murdock (65dfe5) — 2/17/2025 @ 1:27 pmThee National Archives wasn’t just demanding classified documents, They were asking fir presidential records, They didn’t even know that any might be classified or considered classified,
Sammy Finkelman (401b23) — 2/17/2025 @ 1:28 pmWhat blame? Wouldn’t clearing out the jails be a good thing for Adams to run on?
Rip Murdock (65dfe5) — 2/17/2025 @ 1:29 pmNo, after the November 2025 general election. indictment.
Makes you think the Trump people were ……… looking for an excuse to postpone this case as much as possible.
Or to be able to hold the threat of prosecution over his head for the next three and a half years. The Trump administration seems to have overplayed their hand, as Adams will likely not be mayor for much longer. Before his current term is up he could
1) resign under pressure
2) be removed by the Governor
3) lose the primary election.
Under each of the above scenarios he would lose his usefulness to the Administration and would face re-indictment. The only thing that could prevent that is if Judge Ho accepts the dismissal of charges with prejudice, which would save Adams from future prosecution.
Rip Murdock (65dfe5) — 2/17/2025 @ 1:42 pmToo bad he has at best limited influence.
Rip Murdock (e96b09) — 2/17/2025 @ 1:45 pmNY rep. claudia tenney introduces bill to make trump’s birthday a national holiday. (du independent) hitlers birthday next?
asset (a6cbcc) — 2/17/2025 @ 1:48 pm@279 As a business owning capitalist wage slave master ;but don’t have any capitalist wage slaves to exploit and being a non-exploitive capitalist I have no problem with Bernie being Danton and not Robespierre. Democratic socialists want to regulate big business not own the means of production. Look at europe the state does not own mercedes, bmw or volvo.
asset (a6cbcc) — 2/17/2025 @ 1:59 pm@313 lol yeah because he won the election and the charges got dismissed. 😂
Time123 (e7d66e) — 2/17/2025 @ 2:04 pmEvery accusation is an admission.
Colonel Klink (ret) (96f56a) — 2/17/2025 @ 2:11 pm“And”, Vance continued, “you cannot find biscuits and gravy in a Gasthof to save your life”.
nk (c21c00) — 2/17/2025 @ 2:20 pm@316
Garland’s and Smith’s dumb ass didn’t provide Judge Cannon a means to “cure” the defect that Smith is NOT a proper Special Counsel (meaning, Smith wasn’t nominated by POTUS and then confirmed by Senate). All they had to offer, which Cannon signaled that particular off ramp, is to move Smith under the Prosecutor of southern Florida (a nominated by POTUS and then confirmed by Senate prosecutor), which then they could continue the case.
But, Garland/Smith didn’t and effectively dared Cannon to go forward with it.
The rest… is history.
In sure: Garland/Smith dun royally f’ed up.
whembly (b7cc46) — 2/17/2025 @ 2:32 pm@327
I mean.
Elections has consequences.
whembly (b7cc46) — 2/17/2025 @ 2:33 pmDana – Sorry to bother you, but could you check to see if one of my comments is stuck in moderation? Thanks in advance.
(I know no reason why it should be.)
Jim Miller (4fddf3) — 2/17/2025 @ 2:35 pmI think there are protocols and procedures for the Executive declassification of documents—probably involving writing—that are probably disregarded.
My question is: Can a physical action by the Executive be the act of declassification? In other words, the Executive isn’t bound to protocols like “in writing.” If Trump carries a document that is classified out of a SCIF into his garage, did he declassify it? I’d say yes because the Executive is not obligated to go through written procedures and protocols. Personally I think the procedures and protocols are there for good reasons, but my view of Executive authority is pretty broad.
steveg (dd7b17) — 2/17/2025 @ 2:42 pm@333
Correct.
The POTUS is the ultimate declassification authority in the US. There’s debate that he may not be allowed to give nuclear secrets or other national defense secrets, but even then, as untested, I don’t think Congress or SCOTUS could intervene. (Congress only has power of the purse to convince a stubborn POTUS, and failing that, impeach/remove the POTUS).
The “protocols and procedures” are only for non-POTUS actors.
So, yes, as POTUS he can simply order his staff to move classified document A from the Oval office to his house which declassifies that document. No affirmation from POTUS is needed.
Which is basically what happened when Trump left in the 1st term.
Now, during Biden’s presidency, if Trump (or his people) went back to the Whitehouse (or some government building, say the National Archives) and purloined some classified documents…THAT would be definitely break classified laws, as under Biden’s administration Trump didn’t have declassification authority.
whembly (b7cc46) — 2/17/2025 @ 2:56 pmBut to avoid these shenanigans, like a weaponized Special Counsel *cough*JackSmith*cough*, POTUS ought to demand that these “protocols and procedures” are followed to the “T” just to cover his own ass against a future opposition administration.
whembly (b7cc46) — 2/17/2025 @ 2:58 pmNo, because for the president to declassify documents, he has to be president. When not president, he’s not president, so doesn’t have presidential powers. He’s a private citizen.
If a president signs an order to declassify, an active positive action, he can declassify most things, if he doesn’t, he can’t. After president, he cannot issue a presidential executive order.
You see, all you have to do is follow some simple rules to legally do a thing.
If you have a bank account with $10k in it, there’s a pretty big difference between making a withdrawal with your ATM card, and just reaching behind the counter and grabbing a wad of cash. The excuse that you had a bunch of money in the bank, doesn’t not make it illegal.
Again, and official positive action, so just by the content, he couldn’t declassify
Colonel Klink (ret) (96f56a) — 2/17/2025 @ 3:21 pmIn all cases, however, a formal procedure is required so governmental agencies know with certainty what has been declassified and decisions memorialized. A federal appeals court in a 2020 Freedom of Information Act case, New York Times v. CIA, underscored that point: “Declassification cannot occur unless designated officials follow specified procedures,” the court said.
Colonel Klink (ret) (96f56a) — 2/17/2025 @ 3:25 pmThe Attorney General can be instructed to issue a letter to Paramount promising to waive any criminal bribery charges and protect the company from any shareholder lawsuits. This would be similar tothe letter she sent to allow Apple and Google to continue to host the TikTok app in violation of the TikTok ban.
Rip Murdock (65dfe5) — 2/17/2025 @ 3:28 pm@whembly@313 You can’t break the law and claim it’s OK because it’s an “untested” law. There are a lot of laws that never make it to the Supreme Court, you can’t just go around breaking them without expecting consequences.
Nic (120c94) — 2/17/2025 @ 3:44 pmSpeaking of AG Bondi’s letters to Apple and Google, unsurprisingly, no public copy of the letter has appeared.
Rip Murdock (e96b09) — 2/17/2025 @ 3:49 pmSpeaking of “maritime borders of the United States”, do Trump supporters (at least those which can find South on a map) realize that the “Gulf of America” consists of a 12-mile strip off the coasts of Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas and the remaining 600,000 square miles are still “¿Qué dijo el gringo?”.
nk (15515d) — 2/17/2025 @ 4:10 pmDijo, donde esta la armada mas inferior del golfo?
for what it is worth, I think renaming the Gulf was ridiculous trolling on par with Canada the 51st state
steveg (c55fba) — 2/17/2025 @ 4:29 pmThanks for the civil responses to my declassification questions
steveg (c55fba) — 2/17/2025 @ 4:29 pmhttps://x.com/60minutes/status/1891284163845628348
60 minutes is pro-fascism and using the power of the government to silence the public and control their speech.
NJRob (eb56c3) — 2/17/2025 @ 5:19 pmCongresscritter eric swalwell took time out from pining for communist spy fang fang to blame trump for plane crash in toronto.
asset (40be81) — 2/17/2025 @ 5:30 pmYour state of denial is noted, whembly. You’ve chosen to believe the factless claims of an established con man, after he was busted in the FBI search. There’s no reasoning with the unreasoning.
Paul Montagu (c36845) — 2/17/2025 @ 5:42 pmLindy Li says biden was doped up with injection for public appearences after disaster debate performance with hunter acting as chief of staff. (ACE)
asset (40be81) — 2/17/2025 @ 5:45 pmTrump revealed classified intel about spies in Israel to Lavrov and Kislyak, and there were no adverses consequences, because once a president spills national secrets to folks with no security clearance, the intel is declassified by default.
Paul Montagu (c36845) — 2/17/2025 @ 5:46 pmAlso false.
Paul Montagu (c36845) — 2/17/2025 @ 5:54 pmThere is no scenario where classified national defense materials can be construed as personal records, and personal records are the only kind an ex-president has the authority to retain.
There are a couple of errors with this.
The first is that in the Trump administration Trump’s White House council went to court asserting that the president did have to follow the declassification procedures. This was in response to a FOI request after Trump posted out on Twitter that certain documents were declassified.
Second, it’s not just about if they are classified or not. Certain material, certain information, is deemed to be government property whether it’s classified or not. you’re not allowed to have that information and not allowed to have those documents, they belong to the government
Time123 (abe141) — 2/17/2025 @ 5:55 pmAlso worth noting that there was an audio recording released of President Trump clearly acknowledging that the documents were classified, we’re still classified, and that he didn’t have the legal authority to share them.
But as you said, elections have consequences so he gets to escape punishment for breaking the law.
Time123 (abe141) — 2/17/2025 @ 5:57 pmThe mineral rights proposal for Zelenskky isn’t just “draconian and colonial“, its punitive and exploitative. This again is Trump, treating friends and allies as hostile entities while giving five-star treatment in Saudi Arabia to bona fide evil scumbags like Lavrov.
P.S. Dana, both Jim and I have comments in moderation.
Paul Montagu (c36845) — 2/17/2025 @ 6:05 pmWhat blame? Wouldn’t clearing out the jails be a good thing for Adams to run on?
Not in the NYC Democratic primary
Kevin M (a9545f) — 2/17/2025 @ 6:14 pmonce a president spills national secrets to folks with no security clearance, the intel is declassified by default.
So, that was “OK”? Or just so far under the really questionable things he did that it escaped much notice?
Kevin M (a9545f) — 2/17/2025 @ 6:21 pmBut as you said, elections have consequences so he gets to escape punishment for breaking the law.
More accurately, the People said it didn’t matter enough.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 2/17/2025 @ 6:23 pmIt’s simple
steveg (c55fba) — 2/17/2025 @ 6:37 pmDemocrats won by running “any functional adult” in 2020 but the Biden/Harris Administration was run by far left committee and they tried to tell the people lets do it for another 8 years with this woman and the voters found that revolting- to the point that Trumps favorability is at an all time high for first months; second term. Voters are comparing to the past, yes- but also comparing to what might have been. Recent CNN polls have Arizona voters who say they voted for Clinton in 2016, Trump 2024 saying they are happy with what he is doing.
Also, regarding the classified records Trump stole, none were created by him, so they were agency records, which don’t even fall under the Presidential Records Act.
Ed Whelan at NRO has smart, concise explanation on the subject below.
Trump didn’t comply with the PRA “in good faith”, obviously.
Paul Montagu (c36845) — 2/17/2025 @ 6:39 pmOf course it’s not “OK”, Kevin, but the unitary executive has that authority, like it or not, even when the POTUS was being stupid and irresponsible in revealing those secrets. Recall that ‘fessed to Lavrov-Kislyak right after he sacked Comey.
Paul Montagu (c36845) — 2/17/2025 @ 6:44 pmThere’s no recourse for this but for impeachment and conviction. After two shots already at kicking him out of office, Trump will have to get busted for treason dead to rights for impeachment-conviction to ever happen, and maybe not even then, considering all the GOP pizdas in Congress.
The Eric Adams fix is another sleight of hand while a South African-Canadian-rootless globalist is rummaging in the U.S. Treasury.
And as always with Trump less than meets the eye.
Sure, everybody understands that Adams called somebody who owed him a favor who talked to somebody to whom Trump owed a favor.
Big deal!
No prison guard’s children will go hungry.
They will find somebody else to occupy Adams’ cell, younger too to serve out a longer sentence.
nk (bae4eb) — 2/17/2025 @ 6:45 pmGermany has criminalized speech they don’t like. Britain has done the same. There is nothing democratic about those regimes. What do we have in common with them anymore as they have turned their back on Western values?
NJRob (eb56c3) — 2/17/2025 @ 7:09 pmMore right-wing nonsense and hyperbole. Another case of Trump and his cultists treating allies like the enemy.
Paul Montagu (c36845) — 2/17/2025 @ 7:17 pmGermany: Free, 93/100
UK: Free, 91/100
USA: Free, 83/100
Russia: Not free, 13/100
Democrats find a problem that needs solving.
lloyd (3391f2) — 2/17/2025 @ 7:59 pm“Germany has criminalized speech they don’t like.”
TikTok
Davethulhu (8aa4cf) — 2/17/2025 @ 8:24 pmIt was an Allied war crimes tribunal, not a German one, which sentenced Julius Streicher publisher of Der Sturmer to death, ruling that his decades of virulent anti-Semitism were a crime against humanity, even though limited only to speeches and writings; and an American hangman who executed him.
It may very well be that Germans have turned their backs on “certain” Western values, but it seems to me that they enthusiastically adopted some American values, and a good thing too.
J. the “D” is for can I get a fried egg with my grits Vance is a meaningless noise which should be confined to his constituency’s trailer parks.
nk (bae4eb) — 2/17/2025 @ 8:30 pmLMAO
lloyd (3391f2) — 2/17/2025 @ 8:34 pm@357 I am a far lefty. The campaign committee of harris was allowed to run left on social issues by the donors ;but not economic populism of Bernie Sanders and AOC. Both supported harris ( I didn’t) so the left didn’t get blamed if she lost. The liberal democrat establishment blamed them anyway! Harris lost because 9 million democrats who voted in 2020 didn’t vote in 2024. They not the minorities and democrats who voted for trump caused harris to lose. Trump got 49% of the vote in 2024 Harris and others on ballot got 50%+ 2026 will be like 2018. When democrat party contacted those 9 million voters said the democrats didn’t have an economic message that interested them. Corporate stooge put in by pelosi hakeem jefferies said last week stop calling him asking why he is doing nothing and start donating to dnc.
asset (40be81) — 2/17/2025 @ 9:17 pmMore corruption, literally in the White House, literally involving Trump, and it’s only Day 27.
I knew that Trump was getting undisclosed amounts of cash from the Saudi LIV Tour, but what I didn’t know was that Trump has a financial ownership interest in Wahabbi Golf. This president’s financial conflict of interest with the Saudi royal family is deeper than I thought.
In effect, Trump is on the side of the Saudis, using the power of his office to undercut and absorb an American golf association that’s been around for over a century. Again, Trump puts his personal interests above his countrymen, all for his personal enrichment, using the most powerful office on earth as leverage to work a better deal against an American business.
Saudi Arabia, run by bin Salman and who is a business partner with Trump, is not free, scoring 8 out of 100 in civil liberties and political rights.
And here’s a Saudi tie to Mayor Adams, where AG Bondi dropped his case in exchange for him being Homan’s boy…
Typical Trump, it’s corruption and fraud all the way down, and the American people voted for this, good and hard.
P.S.: I agree with Seth Barrett Tillman that Trump’s financial conflicts of interest don’t violate the Emoluments Clause, but they’re still financial conflicts of interest and they’re still corrupt.
Paul Montagu (c36845) — 2/17/2025 @ 9:55 pmJust more hypocrisy. Bush had much deeper ties to the Saudis, but that was ok.
lloyd (3391f2) — 2/17/2025 @ 10:03 pmMore bogus equivalency, lloyd.
Paul Montagu (c36845) — 2/17/2025 @ 10:18 pmGHW Bush participated in the Carlyle Group after he was out of office. Trump is literally doing business with the Saudis, as a Saudi business partner, literally in the Oval Office.
Putin don’t fear the grifter,
Nor does Erdogan, MBS, or Jinping,
We can be like they are,
Just hand him a dollar.
Come on Donnie,
nk (c5daa4) — 2/18/2025 @ 6:22 amJust hold out your hand,
We’ll slip you some money,
Donnie, you’re our man.
361: we continue to regard them as friends, and potentially useful allies in a world with even less savory places. Thank our lucky stars that some wigged geezers 250 years ago enacted a first amendment, and that judges held fast on it against crazy academics and politicians. And hope they see the light: so sad to see the UK celebrating police that prowl social media.
Harcourt Fenton Mudd (bc8284) — 2/18/2025 @ 6:50 am367-asset: The 2024 Democrat campaign was based on illusions. Harris and allied media insisted that the economy was great when it wasn’t. That alone convinced voters that the Democrats were living in a SoHo salon world. The Democrats screwed up the economy with inflation from the “Inflation Reduction Act,” and Harris touted “Bidenomics” long enough to indelibly stain her with the inflation it caused.
They elevated trans issues to the level of “be with us or your a bigot,” and even post-election comments in the NYT are clear that did not resonate outside the Salon.
A lot like 1972: McGovern’s people were so out of touch, they sincerely believed that racial and sexual quotas, trying to ‘understand and reform’ criminals, steep cuts to the military, and $1,000 a year to every American were winners. Nixon won 49 states as I recall.
Harcourt Fenton Mudd (bc8284) — 2/18/2025 @ 7:10 am@340
I’m not saying it’s OK.
I’m saying there are multiple disputed interpretations that hasn’t been fully tested by the courts.
Pre-Trump, POTUS were given a LOT of leeway with classifications stuff. In the Trump era, it’s HIS opponents who wants to push this.
I’ll repeat, if you don’t like the idea of the Unitary Presidency…you might not like a SCOTUS ruling on that theory…
whembly (b7cc46) — 2/18/2025 @ 7:15 am@47
And your continual worship of the Biden Administration’s interpretation is duly noted.
whembly (b7cc46) — 2/18/2025 @ 7:17 am@350
What’s in dispute, is even *if* those documents even *WERE* national defense materials.
Remember Paul, you only got ONE SIDE of the story.
But, you’re willing to convict on just a partisan Biden Administration’s say so.
whembly (b7cc46) — 2/18/2025 @ 7:19 am@356
Or really…
The People didn’t want a Harris/Walz administration, who would obviously be a 2nd Biden administration policy-wise.
whembly (b7cc46) — 2/18/2025 @ 7:21 amAs I recall, Eric Trump worked a deal with the Saudis for Trump Tower Jeddah. I also remember Trump’s son-in-law getting a sweetheart deal from bin Salman, getting a cool $25 million a year to manage $2 billion from his sovereign investment. Trump now likes the idea of sovereign funds so much that he wants us have one, too.
The “Biden crime family” was always a case of projection or confession, red meat for the MAGAs, because the criminal was just one individual, a black sheep drug addict, not the family.
Paul Montagu (c36845) — 2/18/2025 @ 7:32 amIn this case, we do have the Trump Grift Family, cashing in on name and political power with foreigners to make a buck, including this foreign takeover of an American institution, pushed by Trump himself.
Dishonest. This is my reading of the law. I literally linked to a conservative attorney at NRO.
Paul Montagu (c36845) — 2/18/2025 @ 7:35 amYou have zero evidence for your side of the story, and that’s the problem, your faith-based belief in Trump.
Paul Montagu (c36845) — 2/18/2025 @ 7:37 amhttps://x.com/VigilantFox/status/1891690382779470104
Oh look, Deborah Birx is now changing her tune and doing an about face regarding her lies about the COVID shot.
It was only meant for those with multiple comorbidities and high risk to the disease. It shouldn’t have been rolled out and given to everyone.
Who on here was saying that from the beginning and who demanded everyone get the shot because you were the same as being a “drunk driver” without the shot?
NJRob (eb56c3) — 2/18/2025 @ 7:56 amMore GIGO from Paul. But it’s typical that he would bash our freedoms and support European censorship and jailing those that he disagrees with.
NJRob (eb56c3) — 2/18/2025 @ 7:58 amFacts are hard for you MAGA cultists. You’d rather deal in hyperbole and bullsh-t than actual evidence.
Paul Montagu (c36845) — 2/18/2025 @ 8:06 amThere was a Supreme Court case popularly mis-cited by Trump supporters when the documents kerfuffle began which stated, in English, that in defense matters, the President has classification authority only in the absence of action by Congress. If there is a statute, the statute controls.
nk (c6bea6) — 2/18/2025 @ 8:08 amTrump will have to get busted for treason dead to rights for impeachment-conviction to ever happen, and maybe not even then, considering all the GOP pizdas in Congress.
This strikes me as a fundamental misunderstanding of impeachment. He will be convicted if, and only if, Senators see acquittal as the kiss of death to their re-election campaigns.
Nixon was not facing conviction because the GOP of his day was going to put country before party, it was because those Senators feared the wrath of the electorate if they did not convict. If Nixon was clearly guilty, but the electorate didn’t care (enough), then he would have served out his term. But Goldwater came and told him he would be convicted, so he resigned.
Trump can cross a line past which (with the MSM’s help) he cannot recover. And he seems intent on crossing all the lines.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 2/18/2025 @ 8:20 amGermany has criminalized speech they don’t like. Britain has done the same. There is nothing democratic about those regimes.
Nonsense. They criminalized that speech using a democratic process. They just don’t have constitutional protections against laws like that. We do.
If we did not, I can tell you there would be LOTS of laws here restricting speech. Start with flag-burning and porn, and continue on to professing Communism or Naziism or anything else “right-thinking people” might want to outlaw.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 2/18/2025 @ 8:26 amPaul Montagu (c36845) — 2/17/2025 @ 7:17 pm
Freedom House does not seem to consider economic freedom as important.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 2/18/2025 @ 8:27 amshould be confined to his constituency’s trailer parks.
I can’t imagine why those deplorables didn’t vote for your folks again. Maybe you should try dissing them some more.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 2/18/2025 @ 8:30 amI guess they don’t like Elise Stefanik, either, because she took college presidents to task for permitting anti-Semitic speech on their campuses.
Is that why they’re slow-walking her appointment as Ambassador to the UN, I wonder?
nk (c6bea6) — 2/18/2025 @ 8:32 amI agree with Seth Barrett Tillman that Trump’s financial conflicts of interest don’t violate the Emoluments Clause, but they’re still financial conflicts of interest and they’re still corrupt.
By the standard of the $20 million Saudi tip to the Clinton Foundation (due to the intense Saudi interest in women’s rights), nothing is an emolument.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 2/18/2025 @ 8:33 amUp is down, day is night.
Anti-Nazi laws are fascist.
nk (c6bea6) — 2/18/2025 @ 8:34 amNixon won 49 states as I recall.
Running solely on policy, Trump might have done the same, but people also had Trump himself to consider. Few voted for McGovern due to Nixon’s behavior.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 2/18/2025 @ 8:37 amRemember Paul, you only got ONE SIDE of the story.
I’m pretty sure that Paul has both sides of the story, just that one of them is hogwash.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 2/18/2025 @ 8:38 amTrump really should not allow Vance to go and make speeches at any place where possum gizzards and collard greens are not haute cuisine.
nk (c6bea6) — 2/18/2025 @ 8:39 amWho on here was saying that from the beginning and who demanded everyone get the shot because you were the same as being a “drunk driver” without the shot?
That was me, you drunk.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 2/18/2025 @ 8:39 amIs that why they’re slow-walking her appointment as Ambassador to the UN, I wonder?
More likely that they need her vote in the House still.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 2/18/2025 @ 8:40 amTrump really should not allow Vance to go and make speeches at any place where possum gizzards and collard greens are not haute cuisine.
More places that is true than serve avocado toast.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 2/18/2025 @ 8:43 amare we upset because the President is an international businessman, or because the international businessman is Trump?
steveg (c55fba) — 2/18/2025 @ 10:14 amI think it is sort of like the strong Executive arguments- are we upset about Executive authority and immunity, or are we upset that Trump is the Executive with authority and immunity.
Economic freedom ain’t their wheelhouse (although they should cover it), which is why I go to Heritage (hesitantly) and the Fraser Institute (much less hesitantly) on economic freedom. To wit…
Fraser
Germany: 16th freest, 7.80/10
UK: 12th freest, 7.88/10
USA: 5th freest, 8.09/10
Russia: 119th freest, 5.93/10
Heritage
Paul Montagu (c36845) — 2/18/2025 @ 10:47 amGermany, 18th, 72.1 score
UK, 30th, 68.6
USA, 25th, 70.1
Russia, 131st, 52.0
No, and personal feelings are irrelevant.
Paul Montagu (c36845) — 2/18/2025 @ 10:51 amTrump betrayed the Syrian Kurds, benefiting Erdogan, and Trump happens to have Trump Towers Instanbul, where he’s personally received over $13 million in naming rights over the years, a direct financial conflict of interest.
On the other hand “Freedom’s just another name for nothing left to lose” so the rating for Ukraine is probably increasing.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 2/18/2025 @ 11:08 amare we upset because the President is an international businessman, or because the international businessman is Trump?
It’s not the appearance of a conflict of interest so much as the likelihood that the appearance is actual given Donald Trump’s entire life history.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 2/18/2025 @ 11:10 amKevin,
You bought their lies hook, line, and sinker.
NJRob (492de5) — 2/18/2025 @ 12:03 pm@Whembly@374 Trump was given A LOT of leeway about classified stuff. He just managed to use it all up, taking far more than anyone else did.
Nic (120c94) — 2/18/2025 @ 12:16 pmThis is an unproven assertion.
NJRob (492de5) — 2/18/2025 @ 1:22 pmThat is true.
They wanted people to get vaccinated even though it was not (much or at all) in their self-interest to do so, but tried to pretend that it was, in order to increase herd immunity, like they do with measles and polio.
And they stubbornly disregarded the possibility of infection acquired immunity including undiagnosed infections.
Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09) — 2/18/2025 @ 1:41 pmwhembly (b7cc46) — 2/18/2025 @ 7:21 am
No, worse.
Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09) — 2/18/2025 @ 1:43 pmMissouri legislature pushing bill into law to register all pregnant woman in the state to prevent them from getting abortions. (DU fox)
asset (b78259) — 2/18/2025 @ 2:07 pm@NJRob@405. Nope, we know how many times they had to ask for the documents back and we know the timeline.
Nic (120c94) — 2/18/2025 @ 3:05 pmDeborah Birx, Trump’s lockdown architect
1) I never cared what she said.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 2/18/2025 @ 4:10 pm2) You only care now.
Rob,
I understand that you have no effing clue about Science and you think we are all making it up. But we aren’t. Sadly, the press and the politicians are willing to spin Science like they spin Truth and that makes laymen confuse it with Opinion.
That some science-y bureaucratic spokeshole has changed her statements to match the Party’s current line doesn’t mean a thing. Science isn’t all that fluid.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 2/18/2025 @ 4:17 pmAnytime the documents that any person who left high office took with them were audited, they were found to contain classified information.
Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09) — 2/18/2025 @ 4:20 pmYou bought their lies hook, line, and sinker.
Fact: United States: COVID-19 weekly death rate by vaccination status by cohort. The one I linked to was 30-49, but for any cohort where there is sufficient data, the same rule applies.
I will admit that vaccinating children was mostly useless, but it was also not dangerous. IF you believe the “death jab” lie, well you’re just innumerate.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 2/18/2025 @ 4:23 pmKevin, it’s not a problem of being innumerate.
Time123 (5f025a) — 2/18/2025 @ 4:29 pmWhen people start to realize that 99% of us are going to be fine
That’s to say that 1 out of 100 die. That’s over 3 million people. If 3 million Americans died every year on the roads, who would drive?
Kevin M (a9545f) — 2/18/2025 @ 4:31 pmhttps://kmph.com/news/offbeat/white-house-valentines-social-post-goes-viral
Trump is trying to promote sadism.
He, or his people, may have succeeded in at least one place (although the causes are widespread – but he’s certainly not trying to stop it.)
https://www.latintimes.com/11-year-old-texas-girl-bullied-over-familys-immigration-status-takes-her-own-life-575984
Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09) — 2/18/2025 @ 4:33 pmSince “emolument” is defined as “a salary, fee, or profit from employment or office” you would need to prove how President Clinton personally benefited from the Saudi donation.
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 2/18/2025 @ 4:37 pmKevin, it’s not a problem of being innumerate.
How so?
Kevin M (a9545f) — 2/18/2025 @ 4:38 pm@403
There’s probably no legal recourse, but Debra Brix should live the rest of her life in infamy.
What an absolute horrible woman.
whembly (b7cc46) — 2/18/2025 @ 4:40 pm@407
You’re probably right…I stand corrected.
Whatever chaos a 2nd Trump administration may bring…it’s much more preferable than a Harris/Walz administration.
whembly (b7cc46) — 2/18/2025 @ 4:42 pm@411
My brother in christ, her polices (which she advanced even when Trump wanted to reign it in) caused incalculable damages.
People lost their livelihood.
People committed suicide in increases in depression.
People couldn’t say goodbye to dying relatives.
Your flippant attitude is noted.
whembly (b7cc46) — 2/18/2025 @ 4:45 pmSince “emolument” is defined as “a salary, fee, or profit from employment or office” you would need to prove how President Clinton personally benefited from the Saudi donation.
In modern parlance, it’s a tip for service. How did she benefit? The goals of the foundation she set up benefited, and one would assume these were her goals. The payoff does not have to be direct.
Exercise for the reader, was Marc Rich’s huge post-pardon donation to the Democrat Party a payoff for the pardon?
Kevin M (a9545f) — 2/18/2025 @ 4:45 pm<blockquote>In modern parlance, it’s a tip for service. How did she benefit? The goals of the foundation she set up benefited, and one would assume these were her goals. The payoff does not have to be direct.
Who’s she?
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 2/18/2025 @ 4:46 pmI referenced President Clinton, so unless there is another…….
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 2/18/2025 @ 4:47 pmUnfortunately, the Constitution doesn’t reference “modern parlance.”
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 2/18/2025 @ 4:49 pmwhembly,
I have no argument with you about the lockdowns. They were a stupid idea executed stupidly. At most, they should have vetted people who worked with the susceptible (elderly, cancer patients, etc). And I said so at the time for much of those reasons. Go look.
As I said I paid no attention to Blix or the idiots pushing lockdowns, like the power-mad governor of my state. My comments regarded the need for mass vaccinations, not lockdowns, which what what the snide comment upstream about “drunk drivers” referenced.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 2/18/2025 @ 4:50 pmUnfortunately, the Constitution doesn’t reference “modern parlance.”
I must have missed the definition in the Constitution.
But as for what the word meant in 1787…
Kevin M (a9545f) — 2/18/2025 @ 4:55 pmWho’s she?
I made that clear in 390.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 2/18/2025 @ 4:58 pmOh, wait, you have assumed I meant Bill, when the historical bribe was to Sec State Hillary.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 2/18/2025 @ 4:59 pm@419. Numeracy only matters if you care what the facts are. Rob cares which narrative supports his team. The facts are irrelevant to him.
Time123 (cbd27d) — 2/18/2025 @ 4:59 pmSource
The Supreme Court dismissed the District of Columbia litigation as moot following Biden becoming President and the Blumenthal litigation was dismissed by the DC Circuit Court of Appeals based on the grounds “that the Members lacked standing because individual Members of Congress may not sue based on alleged institutional injury to the legislature as a whole.” The Supreme Court denied review. The best way to handle a violation of the Emoluments Clause is through impeachment.
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 2/18/2025 @ 5:00 pmThen Congress should have impeached her.
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 2/18/2025 @ 5:01 pmBullspit.
They knew the “vaccine” didn’t grant immunity nor did it prevent the spread. They knew only the high risk would benefit from it. They lied and used the public in a 2 year totalitarian social experiment.
NJRob (492de5) — 2/18/2025 @ 5:03 pm“advantage, profit, or gain received as a result of one’s employment or one’s holding of office.”
That would include donations to one’s ideological Foundation, or to a political party.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 2/18/2025 @ 5:04 pmThey knew the “vaccine” didn’t grant immunity nor did it prevent the spread. They knew only the high risk would benefit from it. They lied and used the public in a 2 year totalitarian social experiment.
So, it caused no one any problem if the “low risk” people were out and about coughing all over those with more risk? Herd immunity is HOW vaccines work*. There were countless reports of ill people going to parties and such and others dying as a result.
It’s not all about YOU.
———
Kevin M (a9545f) — 2/18/2025 @ 5:07 pm*disparaging comment deleted
As I said, drunk drivers, and Mr Drunk Driver says “it’s OK if people who don’t drive good while drunk are arrested, but I’m a great drunk driver!”
Kevin M (a9545f) — 2/18/2025 @ 5:08 pmThey knew the “vaccine” didn’t grant immunity nor did it prevent the spread.
See, Time, innumerate.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 2/18/2025 @ 5:09 pmYou just want to believe the lie even when the truth is staring you in the face.
Got it.
NJRob (492de5) — 2/18/2025 @ 5:22 pmIn your opinion, unsupported by any facts of what she gained from the Saudi donation. Given the fact that the courts in the Trump cases (see here) found that the plaintiffs lacked of standing at some point in the litigation, it is even less likely that a donation to a foundation would qualify as an emolument. Any challenge to the Clinton Foundation would have met the same fate. As I said above, the only recourse would have been impeachment (especially since there is no criminal penalty attached to a violation.) And as you have said, the voters knew all about it (it was very publicized) but made their own choice.
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 2/18/2025 @ 5:23 pmYou just want to believe the lie even when the truth is staring you in the face.
You entire modus operandi.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 2/18/2025 @ 5:53 pmmade their own choice.
It wasn’t “President Hillary”
Kevin M (a9545f) — 2/18/2025 @ 5:54 pmUnfortunately no, because Putin’s invasion put Ukraine under martial law. However, the Crimean region of Ukraine is less free than Putin’s Russia proper, and so is Donbas, which should tell anyone what could happen to any other part of Ukraine that Putin conquers.
Paul Montagu (c36845) — 2/19/2025 @ 5:10 amAnd now we’re watching Trump betray Ukraine, right before our very eyes, in favor of an authoritarian Russian terrorist thug.
This is just more anti-vax “logic”.
One, this 1% mortality rate that Birx was talking about meant that Covid was our country’s 3rd largest killer for three years running. This 99% survival rate mantra is just more downtalking a virus that killed 1.2 million Americans.
Two, what’s missing in your hyperbole and bulls–t is that the vaccines saved American lives, which can be easily seen in FL and OH studies showing the differences in death rates between the vaccinated and unvaccinated.
axios.com/2023/07/25/covid-vaccine-death-rates-republicans-democrats-study
Three, it’s this nonsense from Trump and you and your cohort is why we ended up 14th worst in deaths per million.
worldometers.info/coronavirus/
Four, I’ve heard this “bought their lies hook, line, and sinker” before, when you lied that I “pushed the 51 intelligence officials garbage hook, line and sinker”, and that I “took the bait because you wanted the lie to be true”.
Paul Montagu (c36845) — 2/19/2025 @ 5:31 amBought the lie hook, line and sinker.
NJRob (492de5) — 2/19/2025 @ 6:57 amNot to be quoting Roy Cohn or anything, but in the vernacular what really makes my ass tired about Trump are his incessant lies.
He is essentially insane and he cannot formulate coherent real world rationales for his peeves and whims so he just makes sh!t up.
And his cabalists rush in with their own tortured facts and false rationales to shore him up.
nk (04b9c3) — 2/19/2025 @ 7:05 amTrump lied about being shot, when nk knew it was firecrackers.
lloyd (ccb55f) — 2/19/2025 @ 7:52 amnk, who bought the lie that Joe was mentally fit.
lloyd (ccb55f) — 2/19/2025 @ 7:58 amIf I were you, lloyd, I would not vote for me for President.
nk (04b9c3) — 2/19/2025 @ 8:35 am@449
I’ll only consider voting for you if you’d champion multiple federal holidays on Fridays throughout the year (3 day weekends) for the express purpose for gaming tournaments (MTG, Warhammer, e-Games, etc..) AND federal tax holiday for any Doritos and Mountain Dew Code Red for sustenance during this holiday.
What says you?
whembly (b7cc46) — 2/19/2025 @ 8:39 amWembley, if you like magic the gathering, I feel like we’ve wasted a lot of time talking about less interesting things
Time123 (7d8467) — 2/19/2025 @ 8:48 am@451
Right?!?
I’m old enough to be an OG MTG player… had all the Moxes, several Black Lotus’ and all kinds of rare cards in the first few editions.
But, like a dumb ass, in college around 1999-ish I sold them all (before magic really took off).
🤦 🤦 🤦 🤦 🤦 🤦 🤦 🤦 🤦 🤦 🤦 🤦
These days, I only purchase sealed collector boosters since the Universe Crosses – Lord of the Rings, just to hang onto incase they go nuts in the future.
I may play MTG Arena these days, so if you have an account, we can friend each other and throw down some cards! (warning, I’m so far away from the meta I build noobish decks… lol)
whembly (b7cc46) — 2/19/2025 @ 9:15 am*I mainly play MTG Arean these days…
whembly (b7cc46) — 2/19/2025 @ 9:16 amHaven’t played MTG in 25 years. Gave all my cards away to a kid of the woman my father was dating. He must’ve made a ton on it.
Thankfully I didn’t have the original insanely valuable cards. I started when Revised edition began and after Moxes and Lotuses were discontinued.
NJRob (492de5) — 2/19/2025 @ 10:20 amYou should take MTG Arena for a spin.
Lemme know.
whembly (b7cc46) — 2/19/2025 @ 10:23 amReading backwards is dangerous in some threads. I thought whembly was talking salaciously about our lunatic representative from Georgia for a minute.
Appalled (efefea) — 2/19/2025 @ 10:46 am@456
lol.
Not MTG, Congresswoman from Georgia… but Magic The Gathering!
whembly (b7cc46) — 2/19/2025 @ 11:32 amhttps://magic.wizards.com/en/mtgarena?gsc=1&gad_source=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIxuvy2LPQiwMVi9DCBB1-MTS8EAAYASAAEgLIjPD_BwE
An emolument is a payment made in exchange for doing nothing in particular, like a pension. Or a Congressional salary.
Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09) — 2/19/2025 @ 2:37 pmYes, Rob, thanks again for confirming that you’re a liar and asshole.
Paul Montagu (84c026) — 2/19/2025 @ 11:03 pm“The (Whitehouse) spokesman said the FDA does need to prohibit use of the words gender, inclusion, identity, diversity, inter, intersex, equity, equitable, transgender and trans to comply with the order.” Reuters.
FFS. They do realize most of these are used for common communication outside of gender theory and DEI and that intersex is the appropriate medical term for someone whose biological sexual characteristics include a mixture of male and female characteristics, right?
Nic (120c94) — 2/20/2025 @ 10:12 amNic, was language policing always bad, or is it just now bad right now today?
lloyd (62b299) — 2/20/2025 @ 10:57 am@lloyd@461 You can freely go back to my posts in the past and will notice that I’m not a fan of punishing people for their speech. I have, for example, said several times that no one should be fired for their off the job social media even when it’s been vile. My speech is policed all the time especially on the job, but because of my job also with anything I put out there publicly under my own name. I do think people should generally try to be polite most of the time though.
Nic (120c94) — 2/20/2025 @ 11:21 amTo all those who predicted that Kash Patel wouldn’t be confirmed as FBI Director (for the next ten years).
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 2/20/2025 @ 11:42 am@463
Hell yeah!
We live in interesting times for sure!
whembly (b7cc46) — 2/20/2025 @ 11:49 amCongrats Kash. Now clean out the entrenched leftists.
NJRob (6a57b7) — 2/20/2025 @ 11:52 amAh, the Volk pushing dear leader to “clean out” their enemies.
Colonel Klink (ret) (96f56a) — 2/20/2025 @ 12:08 pm“The (Whitehouse) spokesman said the FDA does need to prohibit use of the words gender, inclusion, identity, diversity, inter, intersex, equity, equitable, transgender and trans to comply with the order.” Reuters.
My understanding is that it is not absolute.
You get a free one-time use of each word with every purchase of a MELANIA coin.
nk (68fb6d) — 2/20/2025 @ 2:50 pmTrump’s response to the savage celebration in Gaza is entirely appropriate.
NJRob (299104) — 2/20/2025 @ 3:51 pmFrom an email newsletter dated February 19:
Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09) — 2/20/2025 @ 4:20 pmPer the Israeli Ambassador to the UN…
Ariel and Kfir were little kids.
You know who also takes hostage? American hostages? Putin.
Paul Montagu (84c026) — 2/20/2025 @ 10:35 pmI notice the ‘whatabouters” are silent when it’s Paul doing the “whatabouts” to once again focus on Putin instead of the barbarism of the Gazan terrorists.
NJRob (5a7f85) — 2/21/2025 @ 8:25 am