Glenn Kirschner is a little antsy. What's taking so long? Why does it seem like DOJ isn't moving against obvious law-breakers?
My contention is that there's a boatload of sharpsters and hucksters playing their little Intrigue At The Palace games. So it's going to be a while before we get enough of those assholes outa there, so we can start to see something close to "normal" again.
AG Garland appointing a special counsel may add to our highly angst-ey discomfort, but this is what we've got to work with - unless somebody has another justice system in their pocket, thinking we can make a quick change over and be on our way again.
So it's frustrating and scary, and makes everything feel squishy and uncertain. And there's definitely something to be said about being all anal-retentive, trying to make sure nobody can call you biased and political, but it doesn't matter what the truth is - Republicans are going to slam it, and say it's biased and political anyway you cut it.
So just get after it, and get it done the best you can.
Glenn Kirschner, doing his Droopy Dog thing, commiserating with the doomsayers, while trying to reassure us all that justice is coming. (and I think it is)
Trump brags about sending the FBI to Florida to make sure DeSantis got elected - along with US Marshals and Meal Team 6 and Mary-fucking-Poppins - or whatever the hell he's on about.
And maybe he did, but I'm betting he didn't. I'm betting it's just more bluff-n-bluster, but also too, he doesn't say that kinda shit without motive.
It's a variation on "I could shoot someone on 5th Avenue". It's a little shocking for normal people, but the effect is to feed the revenge fantasies of the rubes.
It lets them think the unthinkable. For the most part, on the outside, they're going to say it's just metaphorical - "he's just illustrating how great it is that he has our full support".
What sounds like boasting ("I could shoot someone on 5th Avenue and not lose any votes") may be intended to soft-peddle some horrific thing they've done, or intend to do, which makes the "boast" instructive as to what the devotees will be expected to embrace.
So then it becomes a promise to use the power of the presidency to do the usual shitty things that autocrats do - particularly: "punish our opposition".
Glenn Kirschner - Justice Matters
Trump may be diving for cover by "owning" his actions - walking around saying "Yeah, I did that - what do you think you can do about it?"
He may be lying
He may be telling the truth
He may be throwing this out in front of us in order to cover for some other shitty thing he's done
It doesn't matter. Not to him. He has to disrupt in order to call attention to himself, so the Press Poodles will put him on camera, so he can rouse the rabble to come to his defense.
Without direct media exposure, he withers and dies.
For we the people - we're starving for accountability.
It's an unusual move, unless there was something specific in the search warrant about passports.
Glenn Kirschner - Justice Matters
So much losing.
When might we get a look at that other search warrant?
BTW - passports belong to the federal government, and must be surrendered on demand.
BTW2 - people who travel abroad on official government business are issued Red Cover Passports, diplomats get Black Covers, contract employees get Gray Covers, and there are Green Covers for special purposes (whatever the fuck that means). Anyway, all of those must be surrendered when the holders are no longer employed or engaged by the government.
It took some time, but I think Biden has managed to re-establish some of the Separation Of Powers necessary to keep things legit.
Trump (recently) and the GOP (for-fucking-ever-and-still-at-it) have tried to erase that separation through the bullshit "theory" of the "Unitary Executive", which is code for "Imperial Presidency", which is code for "Asshole Plutocratic Dictator".
Anyway, yesterday's search of Trump's home illustrates how this thing is supposed to work. ie: two separate and independent branches of government have to agree on some things before certain actions can be taken. And even beyond that, the Justice Department has to be acting independently from the White House, just to be sure it's all as much on the level as possible.
When you lie to the press, you're lying to the general public, which is not illegal.
It comes under the general heading of "Awful But Lawful".
With some notable exceptions, eg: defamation. See: Alex Jones Gets His Ass Hammered By Sandy Hook Parents.
Anyway, a politician can lie with near-total impunity when he's bloviating for the benefit of his public image in the public square.
We all know how that goes:
He didn't lie
But if he did, it was no big deal
But if it was, he didn't mean it
But if he did, it was for a good reason
But if it wasn't, I don't care - he's my guy
But you try that under oath in front of a jury, and you're going head-first-ankle-deep into the shit.
So the distance between lying in the media and lying in court is part of what I call "smarmspace".
On occasions like this, politicians like Lindsey Graham have to fight hard to stay in smarmspace. If Graham is compelled to leave smarmspace, he's faced with the real possibility of getting driven out of office because some of his hardcore big-money supporters - and even some of the more braindead zombie rubes - will turn against him.
There's also an equally real possibility of bouncing his ass into a prison cell if he's not careful.
Glenn Kirschner breaks it down. He's betting his max that Trump's lieutenants are going to do some time in a federal lockup, and the only thing that might shorten their terms is how completely they roll over on Trump.
If Glenn turns out to right, I'll go out on a limb and say we'll see at least a couple of suicides.
Law is all about how you say things. Whether or not someone will hold themselves to their word is a different thing.
And the problem is that no matter what someone says or promises, they can always just refuse to honor their word.
Donald Trump has made a career out of that shit.
The rest of us (ie: normal people) are bound by a sense of honor. We get together, and we choose people we think we can trust to come up with rules that govern our behavior, and we agree to live within those rules because we're honorable people - honor is what makes civilization possible.
Anyway, Glenn Kirschner explains some of the weirdness we hear in the language of the law.
Worth noting: The Oklahoma City bombing and Jan6 were both attacks carried out by homegrown terrorists. ie: Violence in the name of political gain.
Merrick Garland put together the toolkit necessary to try and to convict and then execute the bomber, Timothy McVeigh - and put his accomplice, Terry Nichols, away for life without parole.
Merrick Garland is probably the guy we need on this. His investigation and pursuit of Trump and his gang will likely mold US policy on Domestic Terrorism for decades to come.
Great point: We've arrived at a place where congress won't do anything unless they now it'll succeed before they start. (notable recent exception: Schumer brought the Abortion Bill up for a vote knowing McConnell would block it.)
Fine - get 'em on the record, and then slam the fuck out of 'em with that record. The Dems could make some hay with it by doing the same thing with every piece of business we sent them to Washington to do for us - show voters who it is holding up the parade.
Every Wednesday Schumer should put something up that does the same thing.
Glenn Kirschner, on why Don Jr's texts are straight up damning evidence that a coup was in the works.
I've been ready to jump in with a Devil's Advocate thing - ie: maybe Little Don was just kibitzing, and it wasn't such a big deal cuz nobody was taking his shit seriously anyway - but Kirschner's bank robbery analogy squared me right up.
