A few minutes ago, Judge Amy Berman-Jackson denied a motion to delay Roger Stone’s sentencing hearing after he decided, after the fact, that having a black, female Democrat as the foreperson of his jury was bad and moved for a new trial. Trump has been stinking up Twitter all morning, decrying the unfairness of having a black, female Democrat on one’s jury. If only we could go back to the good old days when only white men could be on juries, because only white men could vote.
Trump should just pardon Stone and get it over with, but I guess he’s building a white resentment case for the forever-whining MAGA hat snowflakes whose special God-given privileges are always being taken away by people of color who have the temerity to expect the same rights, privileges and respect as a white person.
The answer to the question “Has Trump Gone Too Far?” has been a resounding “no” for the last three years, but this is interesting:
The head of the Federal Judges Association is taking the extraordinary step of calling an emergency meeting to address the intervention in politically sensitive cases by President Trump and Attorney General William P. Barr.
U.S. District Judge Cynthia M. Rufe, the Philadelphia-based judge who heads the voluntary association of around 1,100 life-term federal judges, told USA Today that the issue “could not wait.” The association, founded in 1982, ordinarily concerns itself with matters of judicial compensation and legislation affecting the federal judiciary.
I think anyone who thinks that Barr will quit over this is living on the edge of reality, but I guess it could happen if the federal judiciary has a quiet revolt led by a GWB appointee.
According to the legal experts on Twitter (ha!), Stone has no case for a new trial since the juror disclosed that she had run for office as a Democrat in the past, and his crack(head) legal team didn’t bump her from the jury. But those same legal experts also say that Stone will probably be able to delay going into the hoosegow while his appeal is active. So, good news for Roger, I guess.
cmorenc
Would it be a bridge too far for even Trump to not only pardon Roger Stone, but give him the Presidential Medal of Freedom as an ultimate FU gesture to the Ds? Who would have thought a month or two before he did so that he would give the award to Rush Limbaugh? The only bet I’d take along those lines is that Trump might wait until after the 2020 election to do some even more spectacular FU gestures with pardons and awards to despicable people.
MattF
Pardoning Stone would would be a new trick for Trump— to date it’s been racists and war criminals that are awarded the presidential get-out-of-jail-free card. So, I’m still not totally convinced it’ll happen, only probably, IMO.
Fester Addams
The Federal Judges Association! How many divisions has it got?
VOR
@MattF: IANAL but my understanding is a pardon would remove any 5th amendment protections for Stone, thus clearing the way for Stone to potentially incriminate Trump. I think we all know Trump’s only true loyalty is to Trump so that ain’t happening.
MattF
@VOR: My understanding as well. But that only works if there’s an investigation.
waspuppet
@Fester Addams: Trump and Moscow Mitch have had enough time to infect the federal bench that I’m guessing a nonzero percentage of the judges in this meeting will use the occasion to demand an investigation of Hunter Biden.
Lacuna Synecdoche
mistermix @ Top:
I suspect that was the point: to find any reason to keep Stone out of jail until it’s politically convenient for Trump to pardon him – which is to say, until after the election in November.
cmorenc
@VOR:
True – the common factor in Trump’s pardons of Joe Arpaio and Scooter Libby is that neither move had any potential to expose damaging evidence against Trump. Other than as further proof of how malignantly amoral Trump’s judgment is.
JPL
Has Barr commented yet about trump’s tweets to the judge. He admitted that he couldn’t do his job, if it continued.
West of the Rockies
I think the foreman could be a 55-year-old white dude, and Trump would bitch. But, yeah, a black female? That just ain’t right in Trumplandia.
aarrgghh
@mattf:
anyone working in trump’s orbit runs the risk of pissing off the vindictive man-baby in a very pardon-disqualifying way. did they not jump high enough fast enough that one time? what’s the odds that trump heard about that crack about his 90lb mole? in any case, talk to any number of trump’s former contractors about getting paid. so far, only being a cheap political symbol qualifies.
Lacuna Synecdoche
Correct, but Trump could always commute Stone’s sentence (and Flynn’s too, for that matter). That would preserve their 5th Amendment rights until it’s safe for Trump, or some later Republican Presidential Criminal, to pardon them.
lumpkin
Reading the comments on the article about the jury foreperson made me feel sick. Literally. There are a lot of seriously fucked up people in the good ol’ USA.
Gin & Tonic
@MattF: It only works if there’s an investigation and if Stone answers truthfully. The probability of the latter is less than the probability I will be elected Pope.
West of the Rockies
Clump pardoned mobstery Eddie DeBartalo. Who is he trying to curry favor with by that? He hates the NFL and California.
Adam L Silverman
@Fester Addams: Approximately a brigade’s worth of deputy US Marshals.
trollhattan
As an amuse bouche Trump can nominate Stone for a judgeship. Once he’s attending those association meetings this sort of Activist Judge nonsense will stop, believe you me.
SFAW
@VOR:
Same disclaimer, but: Traitor-in-Chief pardons Stone. Stone refuses to answer subsequent questions, gets hit with Contempt or Obstruction, Traitor-in-Chief pardons him for that/those, too. I hope an actual lawyer can tell me “that’s not possible.”
The idea that Stone would ever testify honestly, in such a way that his testimony incriminates a Rethug to whom he’s loyal, is on a par with thinking that “Shill Barr has gone TOO FAR, so he’ll get fired.” Barr might get impeached, but given the extreme unlikelihood that this Senate would convict him, I can’t see the Speaker pushing for it.
JPL
@West of the Rockies: He’s fundraising in southern CA today, so he doesn’t mind raising money in CA.
trnc
What happens when Stone lies or refuses to answer questions anyway?
lumpkin
@Lacuna Synecdoche: Could you or somebody please explain how being pardoned removes someone’s 5th amendment protection but having one’s sentence commuted doesn’t? I understand that you can’t be forced to self incriminate if that can be used against you but pardoned, commuted or serving out your sentence doesn’t change any of this. Regardless of your status you can’t be retried.
SFAW
@Gin & Tonic:
It’s only a low probability because you’re in RI. If you were in Seekonk, however …
Dorothy A. Winsor
@West of the Rockies:
How much money did Eddie give Trump?
cmorenc
@waspuppet:
The lifetime appointment of federal judges cuts both ways – on one hand, we get stuck with some malignantly ideological judges (think the Federal District Judge in Texas who decided the entire ACA is unconstitutional). OTOH the fact that it’s a lifetime gig does liberate others toward doing the right thing more than you might otherwise expect (given who appointed them) – in significant part because they do value the role and prestige of the federal judiciary, and don’t want to squander that with any appearances of partisan political subservience. Or more cynically, they sense the need to maintain the appearance of judicial integrity and independence to preserve respect for decisions supporting their ideological approach to government – i.e. a “keep your eyes on the true prize” sort of motivation. And a few do wind up somewhat liberated by the lifetime appointment and free to evolve away from their original ideology and background that got them appointed in the first place.
That said, the ones who are most dangerous (other than the complete wingnuts) are those who view their District Judge appointment as a potential stepping-stone to something higher and better, and are thus willing to craft decisions in a way designed toward pleasing potential Administration and Senate support.
Baud
@SFAW:
It’s not possible to pardon civil contempt, which would keep Stone in prison until he agrees to testify (or the end of Congress’s term, I think).
hitchhiker
The day I’m looking forward to is the day trump is not in the news. We’ve been forced to see that face and witness that level of ignorant malice on a daily basis for the last few years, but there’s an end date looming.
In the meantime, yes. Smug assholes like Stone will be given every opportunity to take advantage of our systems, and they’ll do that, smugly and in ways that highlight their asshole-ishness. It will be disgusting to thinking people everywhere.
SFAW
@Baud:
But is that what it would be (for Stone)? I have no idea, but I’m assuming it would be for federal stuff. [No, I don’t know if civil contempt falls into that category/classification.]
Gin & Tonic
@Baud:
As Trump says “oh yeah, try and stop me.”
Baud
@SFAW:
If the House calls Stone to testify, and he refuses to do so, then the House would ask the court to hold him in civil contempt, not as punishment, but as coercion to compel him to testify. Since it’s not punishment for a crime, it can’t be pardoned.
Baud
@Gin & Tonic: He says a lot of things.
oldgold
I think the Judges in “charge” of the Stone and Flynn case are being played. The defense counsel in both cases are just running the clock. They know their clients will be a pardoned the day after the election.
Because these Defendants are cronies of Trump they are getting treatment no other criminal defendant would dream of. The Flynn case is almost beyond belief as to what has been allowed.
TaMara (HFG)
OT: what’s the best link to check voter registration? I want to post it every few weeks on FB, but the two I checked – Rock the Vote and Vote.org require emails and to opt-out of receiving info.
Anywhere that doesn’t require email? I don’t think you should get spammed just to check your registration.
SFAW
@Baud: @SFAW:
So I decided to be a little less lazy, and do some actual “research” (so to speak). It looks like — to my non-lawyer eyes — that civil contempt applies only to civil proceedings, not criminal ones. That says to me that, unless Stone gets sued for child support etc., civil contempt would not be invoked.
As always, hoping that an actual lawyer can clarify/explain
ETA: Saw your reply at 29 after I wrote this, but I still have doubts that a House investigation would be considered a “civil proceeding.” Also, wouldn’t he get hit with “contempt of Congress”? Or does the House, although not a part of the judicial branch, have the ability to invoke a judicial punishment? Not trying to be a wise-ass; I really have no idea.
Adam L Silverman
@TaMara (HFG): Your local county supervisor of elections. That’s about 10,000 links.
Enhanced Voting Techniques
@cmorenc: Doubtless part of the calculation on the Impeachment was to trigger Trump into pulling nonsense like this during an election year. Worth noting that a driving force behind MAGA hatting is the “elites are killing law and order in the country” and there is their boy doing just that, thanks to them.
Baud
@TaMara (HFG): Your local board of elections or secretary of state doesn’t have a website you can use?
WaterGirl
@TaMara (HFG): I recommend Vote Save America. I would just use a fake email address.
https://votesaveamerica.com/verify
Baud
@SFAW:
No, civil contempt can apply to criminal proceedings, for example, to compel a fact witness to testify.
Civil contempt means contempt that is coercive but non-punitive. Criminal contempt is punishment for the wrongdoing of contempt.
Frankensteinbeck
So far, Trump has universally failed to pardon people who go to jail for him. Roger Stone is more than that. Stone is a personal friend. If he doesn’t pardon Stone, he’s not pardoning anyone. I mean, except for acts of white supremacist violence, which he detests seeing treated as a crime.
trollhattan
@Frankensteinbeck:
IIRC Trump and Guiliani were Stone’s first clients when he opened his bidnez, whatever the hell it is that he pretends to do for a living. Lobbying firm?
Given their various weird proclivities, I’ll bet there are plenty of stories and probably pictures.
germy
Baud
@germy:
I remember that story from a while back. Wasn’t it Jerod’s idea to win over Democrats?
TaMara (HFG)
@Adam L Silverman: I’m kind of looking for a generic one so everyone can click and check. I will go with Vote.org if I have to, I just think the email thing is intrusive.
SFAW
@Baud:
Maybe, but the readings I’ve seen don’t discuss civil contempt (re: the House) unless a civil suit to compel testimony is brought. But I are a engineer, so …
I don’t recall: are you an attorney? [Non-smartass question. I know Omnes, burnspbesq, eemom (I think) and a few others are, but I’m drawing a blank re: you.]
germy
Princess
If you’re feeling scared and depressed these days, and who isn’t, one thing you can do is call your senators and House rep and ask them to make a statement urging Barr resign because he has lost the people’s confidence. This DOJ alumni condemnation and emergency meeting of the Federal judges is a BFD and we should jump on it and support them.
Senate switchboard: (202) 224-3121
mad citizen
@hitchhiker: You and me (and the rest of this blog) both. It would be interesting to poll on: Has trump as president been worse than, better than, or about what you expected in Nov. 2016? For me, about what I expected. He is a clown. I’ve been pleasantly surprised yet horrified at how incompetent his administration has been.
WhatsMyNym
As a white dude, I would have no issue with convicting Stone for being such an embarrassment to the club. So he’s probably better off with the nice black lady – at least he can stall going to jail while wishing Trump doesn’t forget about him.
Unless Trump plans on dropping dead the day after he’s no longer pResident – he will be a target for every lawyer who wants to make a name for themselves.
germy
@mad citizen: He has been as bad as I feared he’d be.
But I was one of those who thought he had no chance of winning. I thought he’d lose, and then go on to Trump TV and heckle President Clinton from the sidelines.
Crashman06
@mad citizen: This is an interesting question. I was fairly certain he’d quickly get us tangled up in a catastrophic war of some kind, so from that respect it hasn’t been as bad as I feared. Once the missiles start flying though…
J R in WV
I’m not sure what the Federal Judges Assoc. expects it can do to help remedy any of the absurd, unconstitutional, and unethical things AG Barr and P Trumpf are doing. Barr doesn’t work for the judges, and Trump doesn’t report to anyone at all.
A joint letter to Barr and the Media? Barr already doesn’t respect the Media, he lies better than he breathes.
Look at his Intro to the Mueller Report document, lies from start to finish, and then he held up the actual real report until his lies had sunk into everyone’s mind. Despicable, immoral, unethical, and the Attorney General of the USA, what a great combo!! We are so lucky!!!
BC in Illinois
@germy:
Back in the day, BC in Illinois actually lived in Illinois.
I remember the universal contempt in which Blago was held by the time of his removal. It was virtually unanimous in both houses. He made a plea for mercy/clemency/something and it was greeted in the state Senate with contemptuous silence.
There is no constituency — other than the “I’m corrupt and I’m proud” crowd — who will be pleased with a Blagojevich pardon or commutation. It would only be a way for Trump to say “I can do anything that I want, for any reason that I want, and you can’t stop me.”
Roger Moore
@VOR:
Not really. The protection against self-incrimination applies only to things you could potentially be tried for, so it’s only a worry for preemptive pardons. Once somebody has been tried, they are already protected against self-incrimination by the Double Jeopardy Clause. I guess as long as an appeal is running there’s a question of getting a new trial, so he would still need protection against self-incrimination.
Ruckus
@JPL:
trump doesn’t give a fuck about your politics, if you give him money. And if someone in CA gives him money, he can rub our noses in it.
PST
@Baud: This is the way I remember it from law school too. The witness jailed for contempt for refusing to answer questions is said to “hold the keys to his cell.” He isn’t imprisoned for a fixed term, but instead held until he comes around and gives answers. In the context of a grand jury investigation, which is a plausible scenario for Stone if he is pardoned but an uncorrupted DOJ emerges after the next election, the witness can be held for the life of the grand jury. That can be a long, long time if prosecutors wish, and it can be repeated.
germy
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@West of the Rockies: he hates NFL players, he loves to claim NFL owners as friends, especially the kind of “friends” he can now make kiss his ring
J R in WV
@germy:
Trump twits:
So Trump won’t even use Judge Amy Berman-Jackson’s actual name in his criticism of her? Doesn’t even know her whole name? Do I care?
Is there any real cause for a new trial if the juror revealed her political leaning during Jury selction? Almost certainly not!
germy
@J R in WV: It sounds like he was quoting Andrew Napolitano.
Adam L Silverman
@BC in Illinois:
That’s not the point of commuting Blago’s sentence. The point is to normalize that the President of the United States, backed by the Department of Justice through its office that does the legal reviews regarding potential pardons, commutations, and clemency do not believe that what Blago did and was convicted of should result in either the amount of punishment he was sentenced to or wasn’t even criminal at all. This is normalization. through the pardon power, of a variety of political related crimes.
Chief Oshkosh
@BC in Illinois: Actually, I think it’s all part of vague plan to redefine what is a prison-worthy offense for a chief executive type of person. If governors and CEOs and that ilk are functionally above the law, what does that make POTUS?
zhena gogolia
@hitchhiker:
I wish I thought this nightmare would be over in November.
PST
@J R in WV: I feel like a nitpicking pedant saying this, but Judge Jackson doesn’t use a hyphen. I looked at a copy of one of her orders.
Roger Moore
@TaMara (HFG):
I think you’re probably best off going directly to your local registrar of voters rather than through a central database. It’s annoying because you can’t give out a single link, but it’s best to get the information direct from the source.
James E Powell
@germy:
Me too, and millions just like us.
Brachiator
Hell, if Trump is re-elected, he will probably nominate Barr to become a Supreme Court justice.
Roger Moore
@Frankensteinbeck:
I don’t think Trump is capable of friendship. He uses people, and he will do his best to keep people happy with him while he thinks they’re useful, but anyone who expects him to do something for them out of friendship is asking for disappointment. Unless pardoning them will be useful to Trump, they’re going to stay in prison.
BC in Illinois
@Adam L Silverman:
Okay, I can see the Trump angle in saying that using executive power for personal financial gain is normal. He has the entire Republican Party on board for that principle. But what Blago did was more than simply political related crimes; some were simply crimes:
Trump is interested in normalizing, not political related crimes, but crimes by politicians.
ETA: And maybe there’s not much of a distinction to be made. Trump = “Crimes Are Us.”
burnspbesq
@SFAW:
The kind of contempt you describe is civil, not criminal, and is therefore outside the scope of the pardon power.
Roger Moore
@Brachiator:
I doubt it. Barr is too useful as his hatchet man. Besides, he’s clearly outsourced judicial nominations to the Federalist Society, and they’ll never nominate someone as old as Barr. If Trump nominates someone close to him to the Supreme Court, it will probably be one of his kids. After all, there’s no legal requirement a Supreme Court justice actually have judicial experience.
dogwood
@hitchhiker:
Spoiler Alert! This horror film will have a sequel. It’s a franchise movie. And whether he leaves office next year or 5 years from now, he will be starring in the sequel with the same supporting cast and wide distribution. It’ll be 2016 all over again. Americans love big- budget genre and franchise films so expect the media to hype the shit out of this second act.
Adam L Silverman
@BC in Illinois: Trump just announced during a press gaggle on the flight line at Andrews that he has commuted Blago’s sentence.
Elizabelle
@Brachiator:
Shit like this is why I spend less and less time at this blog these days.
Hyperbole much? Who wants to read through suppositions like that?
SFAW
@burnspbesq:
OK, thanks.
How are you and the blushing bride doing? Coming up on your one-week anniversary? Or is it two?
Or is my mind even more far-gone than I thought, and I’m confused about that?
Brachiator
@Roger Moore:
RE: Hell, if Trump is re-elected, he will probably nominate Barr to become a Supreme Court justice.
This was more an expression of exasperation than a prediction.
And yeah, I can see Trump nominating younger justices to help insure right wing domination of the Court.
Young Jared apparently can do anything. He would be a natural for the Court.
Yep. Earl Warren had been attorney general of California, but never a judge.
J R in WV
@PST:
No, no, not a nitpick at all. I just used what was quoted in the original post… have seen it both ways. Wife never used a hyphen, but does use both names formally.
So I would call her Judge Berman Jackson personally, but that’s me. Maybe Trump had help working up this twit of poutrage?
RobNYNY
@VOR: Only partially. A pardon would remove 5A protections for the crimes for which he was pardoned, but would not remove 5A protections for other potential Federal crimes, or any state crimes at all.
Jay
@Adam L Silverman:
Is for sale.
Not a thread but instead, an interesting collection of articles all pointing out the same theme:
Bex
@BC in Illinois: Shakedowns…that would ring a bell with Trump.
Dorothy A. Winsor
A pardon for Bernie Kerik too. We’re on a crime forgiveness spree today.
JPL
@Dorothy A. Winsor: It’s not the same type of crime as being paid to be on a board.
pamelabrown53
@JPL:
yeahbut, isn’t Kerik BFF with Giuliani? I think Agent Orange just wants to keep his base at fever pitch while he burns all our norms and institutions to the ground.
P.S. Hope we have a new post soon or else I’ll be forced to get something like work accomplished!
hitchhiker
Old survivor fans might remember that guy Russell Hantz … I was passing time the other day watching that season (it’s on Hulu) where he makes it to the end of the game and finds out that not a single person on his jury is prepared to give him $1 million.
For non-fans, the point of the game is to eliminate all but 1 or 2 of your competitors but do it in such a way that a majority of the people you eliminated respect you and want to reward you.
Hantz was a vicious creep on that season, but he went to the final vote 100% believing he was about to win. At the reunion show, he still didn’t understand what the problem was. (He was mean. That was the problem.)
I bring all this up as context for what happened next, a sort of harbinger of trumpism. The show had a fan vote for a sort of runnerup prize, and Hantz won that. This foul, malicious troll of a man was the fan choice. The people who had spent weeks living with him were like, NOPE — but there was a definite and shockingly big audience out there for haters. Hantz is utterly prototypical of the trump base.
They like it when people cheat, and they really, really like it when cheaters win. The depressing thing about recent years is having to confront the fact that something like a quarter of American voters are firmly in that camp.
rikyrah
@Baud:
There isn’t one site with all the links to the STATE Board of Elections in every state?
Steeplejack (phone)
@J R in WV:
It wasn’t Trump. He was quoting Fox pundit Napolitano, who used the term “Judge Jackson.”
germy
trollhattan
So, after his current commutation flury who will Trump Free Next? My money’s on this guy.
nyrobbin
@dogwood:
Yeah, he’ll disappear like John McCain disappeared.
Elizabelle
What is Trump distracting from?
Chyron HR
@germy:
Bernie assures me that Hillary would have pardoned Michael Milken, too.
trollhattan
Holy hell, somebody grab Donny’s pen.
If Mason weren’t dead….
BC in Illinois
Tweet by Eamon Javers, CNBC:
Follow up by Eric Kleefeld:
I will let others point to the qualities that make Michael Milkin worthy of a pardon.
I’m still steamed about hearing about Blagojavich.
Brachiator
@germy:
Really?
Wow. Just wow.
It’s good to be the king.
germy
https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/statement-press-secretary-regarding-executive-grants-clemency-2/
David ??Merry Christmas?? Koch
Holy Shit!
Dump just pardoned the Houston Astros!
Enhanced Voting Techniques
@Adam L Silverman: Yes, certainly an attempt to normalize it in the eyes of Trump’s base. One of the crimes Blagojevich was convicted of was trying to sell Obama’s senate seat so the MAGA hat can tell themselves the Democrats are just as about as Dear Leader. Trump might be hoping Blagojevich shows up at rump’s rallies and lies for Trump or Trump will just put words in Blagojevich’s mouth about how Blagojevich told Trump Blagojevich fixed Obama’s elections
tokyokie
Of course, Stone has to appeal on the basis of the race, sex, and political leanings of the jury forewoman. He’s entitled to have his case heard by a jury of his peers — 12 white, male, fascist psychopaths.
mrmoshpotato
OT – Hey delk and BGinCHI, Blago just got his sentence commuted.
You two game for trying to sell Durbin’s Senate seat? I know he’s up for re-election, but I hear it’s golden, and we shouldn’t give it away for fucking nothing.
Which other IL Juicers want in on this?
ETA – BCinIllinois? satby?
Adam L Silverman
@Jay: I wouldn’t pee on RYP to put him out if he was on fire.
mrmoshpotato
@David ??Merry Christmas?? Koch: Bwhahahhaha!!!!
Kent
Can I put money on the Sacklers? Another NYC billionaire clan who are being unfairly punished for simply taking advantage of the rubes. Two peas in a pod, right? I mean Rush was a big Oxycontin fan, what’s not to like? So UNFAIR!
The Moar You Know
@trollhattan: I was living in SF during their incredible run of Super Bowl victories and was still living there when DeBartolo went to jail. I am not surprised all the players spoke highly of him; he violated the shit out of the NFL’s salary cap rules and Rice (and the entire team) were the direct beneficiaries of that. Frankly, I thought what Eddie D got busted for was kind of bullshit, but he made it far worse by a series of disastrous decisions; had he simply pled guilty and not lied his ass off he’d still have the team.
They’d have ended up becoming the losers that they became anyway as the penalties for the salary cap violations happened regardless, but the new owners made it far worse by deciding to run the team’s budget as low as it could possibly be done.
I at least get this as some kind of insane person’s attempt to curry favor with the NFL ownership Mafia; Trump’s been wanting in that club forever.
The Blago pardon I flat out do not understand. The man is one of the most hated people in the United States, regardless of party affiliation.
laura
I am HERE to share all of the reasons that Michael Milken deserves a full pardon. They are Zero/ None/Null Set.
That skeezy jack hole is the genius who’s leveraged buyouts started the rampage of hollowing out any/every business that had profits and property and a customer base and employees. Saddle the business with the costs of taking it over, asset strip everything not tied down, fire all the employees, take the money and run. Rinse. Repeat. Worse by orders of magnitude than meth junkies who strip out the copper wiring on your local public school to sell for scrap.
In a just world, he and his toupe would have rotted in a prison cell til he died. In my world, well, when he cried out in anguish, I’d remind him that he knows what he did and then give it another twist.
Kent
The owner of the Astros was a Baylor Alum and megabooster who bought the new football stadium at Bayor during the Ken Star “rape factory” era. It is all connected.
mrmoshpotato
@trollhattan: Mason or Manson?
pamelabrown53
@germy:
After today’s pardons, it’s unfathomable that any voter would believe that Trump’s interest in corruption is to further it at the expense of the rule of law.
What say you, “MSM”?
Cacti
Paying a cash bribe for a gaming license?
Bill Arnold
@Frankensteinbeck:
Stone is a hoarder of secrets. I’m frankly surprised that he hasn’t suddenly died of “natural causes”. His patterns of behavior (and some other tells) suggest significant involvement (with non-US actors) in the Podesta and DNC email thefts and their release, IMO. (I’m in the minority on this; that’s OK.)
Steeplejack (phone)
@pamelabrown53:
I think you said the opposite of what you intended to say.
Brachiator
@The Moar You Know:
Trump definitely has a thing for authoritarian rulers and NFL team owners.
Part of Trump’s ongoing obsession with Obama.
The Moar You Know
@Cacti: A crime to be sure. Also, how business was done in the state of Louisiana for a very, very long time.
Hey, he fucked up bad, not so much the crime but the VERY poorly attempted coverup/defense, like some guy named Nixon I read about a long time ago.
Were I him, well…I’d be rich and probably doing something more fun right now. I think he still lives in the Bay Area. I’d refuse that fucking pardon if it could be done.
trollhattan
@mrmoshpotato:
Yeah, not James, Charlie. Mason/Manson, potato/potatah, let’s blow the whole thing up.
Bill Arnold
@trollhattan:
So we now provably know that D.J.Trump believes that “failing to report a crime” is not a crime, if one is a Trump supporter.
Axios notes:
joel hanes
@mad citizen:
about what I expected
Far worse than I expected, worse even than my secret fears.
I expected the incompetence, and the grifting criminality.
I did not comprehend the depths of his resentment, malice, and lust for vengeance on the world.
Bill Arnold
@BC in Illinois:
We can add tax fraud to this list of things that D.J. Trump does not believe to be a crime. (I haven’t determined whether Paul Pogue is a Republican.)
Pogue gets probation in tax fraud trial (Danny Gallagher, Aug 27, 2010)
He was caught cheating significantly on his taxes in three years:
mrmoshpotato
@trollhattan: potatah? :)
dogwood
@nyrobbin:
Overall I remain optimistic about the future. But as someone in her mid sixties, I realize I might not live to see what I envision. That’s what getting old means. But last night I re-watched Taika Waititi’s “Jojo Rabbit” and found myself hoping to live long enough to see Trump get his due from a director as skillful and funny as Waititi.
WaterGirl
@Elizabelle:
That’s the question we should be asking every single day.
Bill Arnold
@BC in Illinois:
More on the D.J. Projection watch. DJT believes that hacking is acceptable behavior at least in some cases:
Ex-CEO on hacking: ‘I crossed a line’ (Jill R. Aitoro, May 28, 2014)
By Republican Rule of Projection, this means that DJT ordered the DNC and/or Podesta email hacks, and/or some other hacks for personal gain.
WaterGirl
@mrmoshpotato: Satby is Indiana, but Jeffreyw and I are both Illinois.
Bill Arnold
@germy:
Projection watch: DJT believes that obstruction of justice and making false statements are acceptable behavior.
Former GSA Chief of Staff David Safavian Sentenced for Obstruction of Justice and Making False Statements (October 16, 20090
Bill Arnold
@germy:
DJT believes that (1) tax fraud and (2) lying while being interviewed to be head of Homeland Security are both acceptable behavior:
Kerik Confesses to Cheating I.R.S. and Telling Lies (Sam Dolnick, Nov. 5, 2009)
Lacuna Synecdoche
Two reasons:
A) Blago was sentenced for political corruption. Trump wants to set a precedent that political corruption is just how the game is played, and that everyone does it. By pardoning a fake Democrat, Trump makes the case to his base that it’s okay if Republicans do it too.
B) As you said, Blago is one of the most hated pols in the country. Trump identifies with that. In Trump’s warped transactional ethics, sociopaths have to have each other’s backs. After all, no else will.
PST
The Blago crime that seemed most unforgivable was threatening to withhold state money owed to a children’s hospital — a CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL — until the hospital CEO contributed to his campaign fund. That sounds like something Trump would admire.
Ruckus
@dogwood:
I’m a bit older than you and I’m making it my life’s mission to stay alive and lucid long enough to either see trump in jail, or piss on his grave. Either is acceptable, both would be nicer.
Ruckus
@joel hanes:
Well trump is pissed that not everyone in the world thinks as highly of him as he does. Of course we don’t have the 360 degree blind spot he has. That blind spot has a technical name. Cranial rectal inversion.
Ruckus
What one can really see by today’s pardons is that trump is proving to all of us is that the rule of law is whatever he says it is. He didn’t run for president, he ran for dictator.
How could one think different?
dogwood
@Ruckus: Yep. We will not be rid of him until he dies. I just want to outlive him.
SFAW
@Ruckus:
“Inversion,” or “insertion”?
mrmoshpotato
@WaterGirl: I always thought you were in the St. Louis area for some reason.
mrmoshpotato
@PST:
Jamey
@cmorenc: It wouldn’t be a F-U to the Ds; we know that there is no bottom. It would be a F-U to the country, and I think there are still some (non-D) Americans smart enough to figure this out. WIll it matter? Depends on how the optics play.