Archives for 2024

Biden didn’t pardon Hunter until Trump said he would appoint Kash Patel as head of the FBI.
Kash Patel has openly admitted he would abuse the power of law enforcement to go after Trump’s enemies.
Why doesn’t anybody recognize that the person who is breaking norms and abusing power is TRUMP?

— Mikel Jollett (@mikeljollett.bsky.social) December 3, 2024 at 10:29 AM

I half-hoped the deluge of unpleasant stories about Kash Patel’s past might convince his Dear Leader that putting him in front of the Senate was a bridge too far, but we’re in High Kakistocracy mode now…

My latest on Kash Patel and the FBI: www.msnbc.com/opinion/msnb…

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— Frank Figliuzzi (@frankfigliuzzi.bsky.social) December 2, 2024 at 1:58 PM

… It isn’t just that Patel is wholly unqualified to lead the pre-eminent law enforcement and intelligence agency in the nation and perhaps the world. Yes, he lacks the professional experience needed to lead the bureau’s 37,000 employees in 55 U.S. field offices, 350 satellite offices and 63 locations abroad that cover nearly 200 countries. But that’s the least of my concerns. After all, Trump’s picks for homeland security secretary, director of national intelligence and defense secretary are also remarkably lacking in competency for their proposed roles. Trump’s first choice for attorney general was so problematic that he withdrew from consideration before the Senate confirmation process could begin.

Patel’s particular problem goes far beyond competence: His record shows no devotion to the Constitution, but blind allegiance to Trump. Patel helped spread the fabricated conspiracy theory that the 2020 election was rigged against Trump. He has promoted the conspiracy of a “deep state” within government institutions whose aim is to topple Trump. Court findings and the jury system are things that should matter to an FBI director, yet Patel seems not to care that more than 60 court challenges found no evidence of fraud in the 2020 election, nor that grand juries and trial juries of American citizens determined Trump should be criminally indicted, held civilly liable and even convicted.

If he becomes FBI director, Patel will have to take an oath to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution, but his public statements raise concerns about his ability to keep that oath. In an interview last year with Trump adviser Steve Bannon, Patel promised to pursue judges, lawyers and even journalists he perceived as having wrongly investigated Trump and influenced the 2020 election. “We will go out and find the conspirators,” he told Bannon, “not just in government but in the media — yes, we’re going to come after the people in the media who lied about American citizens who helped Joe Biden rig presidential elections.” That doesn’t sound like a man who intends to strictly adhere to the rule of law. It sounds like a wannabe cop planning on false arrests and fabricated evidence…

@radiofreetom.bsky.social
on the nomination of Kash Patel:
“Patel is about as dangerous as it gets, not because he’s that much of a true believer in anything, but because…he believes in nothing except serving Donald Trump…”

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— Republicans Against Trumpism (@rpsagainsttrump.bsky.social) December 1, 2024 at 4:20 PM

Until Christopher Wray is fired by AG, resigns or ends his term, Trump has no more right to name an FBI director than you or I do. Every Republican senator voting to confirm any AG must hold any AG candidate accountable for the consequences of Patel at FBI, and should be held accountable.

— Ben from New Mexico (@bluefiddleguy.bsky.social) December 2, 2024 at 9:30 AM

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Tuesday Evening Open Thread: Trump’s Bug-Eyed Gremlin, Kash PatelPost + Comments (153)