Stumbled across this OP ED piece:
It goes on from there, but I think y--While Joe Biden continues to avoid specific questions on the Hunter Biden scandal, there reportedly are”ongoing discussions” at the Justice Department on whether to appoint a special counsel. Ironically, Joe Biden’s refusal to address specific allegations has only fueled concerns of possible conflicts for his Justice Department conducting this investigation. His stonewalling is making the best case for a special counsel — but some unknowns remain critical to the decision.
Attorney General William Barr left his position this week, following very public conflicts with President Trump, including his opposition to special counsel appointments to investigate the 2020 election and the Hunter Biden scandal. Barr clearly was not opposed to making such appointments; he converted United States attorney John Durham into a special counsel, to guarantee that Durham will complete his investigation into the handling of the Russian collusion investigation.
The question is whether such grounds could emerge with regard to the Hunter Biden investigation. Justice Department regulations allow the appointment of a special counsel when it is in the public interest and an “investigation or prosecution of that person or matter by a United States Attorney’s Office or litigating Division of the Department of Justice would present a conflict of interest for the Department or other extraordinary circumstances.”
"Wait, you agree with this? I've seen 0000FF's less blue than you."
Oh, I just wanted to point out the hypocrisy. Biden's not even President yet and people are calling for a special counsel that not even Trump's man Barr will appoint. Meanwhile Trump personally and directly asked for help from the Russian government and the people like this piece's author said "Hoax!"
But you know what? Sure. Why not. Run another Bengazzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz..........*snork* Gah! Fell asleep, because those procedures were so boring and nobody ever found anything. Go for it. Appoint ten special counsels, get the bulk rate.
*ahem*
But.
That means no complaining when President Biden opens the gates and lets his own entire DoJ, acting as his own lawyer hit squad -- something Republicans have approved of in public for four years -- and just burn Trump to the ground.
It's both, or neither. Sorry. I don't make the rules. I just see to it they're enforced.
Earlier, @Edge- posted a FOX News poll that said 40% or something similiar of respondents said Trump would be remembered as one of the worst in history.
I can't top that.
But I can come close. This USA Today poll says 50% of people say Trump's time in office will be remembered as "failed". Only 16% said "great".
The poll also asked if Biden was elected fairly. Big surprise, most Republicans don't think so. The poll did not ask "prove it" so I don't know why. But I do know it was 78% of Republicans who said so, which is pretty close to the split I've said in the past. Incidentally 96% of Democrats said Biden was fairly elected, 65% of Independents agreed.
And finally, 538 shows Trump's now irrelevant approval is dropping anyhow. Trump never hit 50% metapproval, not once.
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This is part of a question that will weigh on me for some time.
Which is the right thing to do?
A) Say "Well, Trump did all these corrupt things and you Republicans agreed with all of them, therefore, Biden should do exactly the same thing and you have to accept that, too" and basically force the hypocrisy to the surface as the only real objection -- then ignoring the objection.
B) Take the high road, and forfeit taking easy advantages (Biden pardoning Hunter on Day One and flipping Trump off) and "losing points" in exchange for having a trusted, honorable tenure.
Nah. Just kidding. It's an easy choice. But each time Biden does something Trump did, and the rabid fanbase complains, I will stroll up to the podium and say "excuse me while I whip this out..." and open up this very thread.
There has been a lot of daily headlines lately about Trump and an attempted coup or martial law to overturn the election. What gives me anxiety is people are uncertain whether he could succeed or not
The spending bill is being sent to Trump in Florida where he votes but does not live. Trump has, of course, left the WH to travel for the holidays.
"You're upset Trump is vacationing on Christmas Day? The bill's being sent there anyhow. He could sign it from a shitter in Nova Scotia."
Oh, that's not the problem. The problem is twofold.
1) The WH has refused to say if Trump will sign, veto, or do nothing. It's the government funding and COVID relief bill. And they won't say if Trump will sign it.
2) Trump could choose to "pocket veto". For those of you who don't know, a "pocket veto" is when the bill just...doesn't get signed. It just sits there. It's not a law because it's not signed, but it's not vetoed either.
"What happens then?"
Normally not much. If the bill passes but isn't signed, it becomes law because it wasn't vetoed. Unless...in ten days Congress isn't in session. This kills the bill.
Guess what's not in session right now?
The good news? McConnell has already signalled bringing the Senate back the 29th to override Trump's veto. He'd have to keep them in session long enough to handle this, too, meaning through New Year's. Then they basically have to stick around because they have a vote to certify Jan 6th.
In other words, Trump could sit on his big fat fatty fat obese fat ass, on vacation, and therefore force the House and Senate to have no vacation.
I'm not particularly upset that our elected public servants don't get a big vacation. I'm upset that Trump would still get one, and ruin theirs, just by being a petty, spiteful, tantrum-throwing child.
Which some people, including trolls on these forums, still applaud. Often by slapping their flippers together and screaming ORK ORK ORK!
193,030 new cases and there's no point in comparing it to last week because several states/counties are not going to report thanks to the holiday, as predicted. I'm going to stick to just the "quick" updates for the time being because there's honestly no point in trying to get anything meaningful out of the data for the next week or so. You can bet your ass we didn't drop 46k cases since last Thursday.
2,835 deaths were still reported, bringing the total to 337,066. That number is obviously as much an underreport as the new cases and yet it still came close to hitting 3k. There may be some days in the coming week or so that reach 4k due to corrections depending on how worldometers distributes them.
Thank you all for keeping me informed throughout this TRUMP SHITSHOW and reminding me that there are still some sane, reasonable people in a virtual sea of stupid.
Stay safe, folks, and happy--healthy--holidays.
Did you not see all the reports about his closed door meeting with advisors advocating for him to institute martial law, seize voting machines, and hold a second election under military control?
Naturally it would be unconstitutional and White House staff have since blocked those advisers' ability to meet with Trump, but it's something he's actively considering.
Trump isn't going to achieve a coup because he's too incompetent and didn't lay the necessary groundwork before the election. But if you can see how many Republicans in Congress and state government have been capitulating to his whims, you can see that a coup in this country is not as impossible as we once thought. If he had conspired to do so well in advance, and used his appointments to put actual collaborators into office, he might actually have achieved overturning the election results in defiance of the will of the people, and with virtually no pushback from the GOP.
Granted, the fact that Trump has gone this far, and has even seriously considered declaring martial law, should be enough evidence that he's a fascist and does not belong in office.
But I guess people like yourself are totally fine with the idea of living in a fascist dictatorship.
So Roger Stone said to the press when asked for comment about his pardon from Trump...
https://www.yahoo.com/news/jared-kus...215630345.html“While I am virtually bankrupt my Legal Defense Fund has a substantial budget for bringing lawsuits against reporters and editors who defame,”
Like I get Trump's whole shtick is to say he going to sue anyone who says means things about him but Stone realizes it doesn't work that way? Buddy you took a pardon that means you admit guilt for your pardoned crimes in the eyes of the court. So any reporter or editorial can say or write until they are blue in the face or until their fingers fall off that you committed witness tampering, obstruction, and giving false testimony and that Trump gave you a pardon. Also since you are a highly public figure that can speculate into why Trump pardoned you since all the people Trump seems to be pardoning are Trump cronies, loyal lackies, or his inner circle. Good luck trying to prove that any of these reporters or newspapers are knowingly lying when writing about you.
Here, let me approximate yuppies response:
“But if Trump were really as bad as you say, wouldn’t he have been thrown out by now? Wouldn’t it look bad for the USA to throw out a president? Did trump ever talk about being a dictator before? Why would trump hire people who want to talk to him about being a dictator?”
There, one whole post four entire separate questions without actually adding or saying anything. I believe that sums up any potential response of theirs, no?
“Do not lose time on daily trivialities. Do not dwell on petty detail. For all of these things melt away and drift apart within the obscure traffic of time. Live well and live broadly. You are alive and living now. Now is the envy of all of the dead.” ~ Emily3, World of Tomorrow
Words to live by.
Well I hope every single Democrat backing pac puts all their money into splattering it on every billboard, paper ad, and t.v. ad in Georgia that Trump caused the government to shut down and you are not receiving any money all because Trump wouldn't sign the bill. Democrats need to scream it from rooftops. Much like Sherman's March to the Sea but instead of fire and devastation let it be a river of ads telling everyone Trump is the reason you are receiving no aid during the worst part of the pandemic. We are going to be royally fucked because of it so make lemonade out of the shit lemons Trump is giving us and make the Republicans bleed for it.
This is what SHOULD be happening.
What IS happening is multiple Perdue ads every half hour screaming about how Perdue worked hard to put money into the pockets of Georgians, but that Ossoff and democrats fought it every step of the way and tried to obstruct republicans that were just trying to financially help working Georgian families.
There has been no push back from any democrats that I have seen. These Perdue ads are well put together, and they are being aired a LOT.
https://www.politico.com/news/2020/1...mocrats-448526
Partially because every Republican super pac in the country is putting all of their money into Georgia now and burnout from Democrat supporters due to the failure to win winnable Senator seats and the losses of House seats.
P.S. and Republicans have a lot more billionaires on their side to pile the money into those super pacs.
Last edited by pathora44; 2020-12-25 at 05:45 AM.