All purpose news and politics thread part VI: This Is Not The Time For Posing

[WestPhillyPunisher]

Bidens administration is facing a relatively unique dilemma. Do they break with tradition and risk setting a precedent by prosecuting an outgoing President of the other party or turn a blind eye to potential treason?

My knowledge of the law in such situations wouldn’t fill a thimble, but I’m of the opinion the Biden administration doesn’t have a choice. Trump’s done so much insane shit that just can’t be ignored, they’ll HAVE to prosecute, if but for no other reason than to prevent future lunatics who find their way into the Oval Office from following in Trump’s treasonous footsteps.

[Kirby101]

Bidens administration is facing a relatively unique dilemma. Do they break with tradition and risk setting a precedent by prosecuting an outgoing President of the other party or turn a blind eye to potential treason?

If Trump is not prosecuted, the law has no meaning. The next, more competent GOP President will have no restraint.

[shooshoomanjoe]

I love how they phrased this headline

Twitter now alerts Trump that Biden is president every time he lies about election fraud

[Malvolio]

I love how they phrased this headline

Twitter now alerts Trump that Biden is president every time he lies about election fraud

That must be driving Trump crazy. I know, I know, short trip, but still...

[Malvolio]

My knowledge of the law in such situations wouldn’t fill a thimble, but I’m of the opinion the Biden administration doesn’t have a choice. Trump’s done so much insane shit that just can’t be ignored, they’ll HAVE to prosecute, if but for no other reason than to prevent future lunatics who find their way into the Oval Office from following in Trump’s treasonous footsteps.

Ford pardoned Nixon, and Obama decided not to prosecute GW Bush. Unfortunately, those are the precedents that Biden has to consider here.

[Kirby101]

Ford pardoned Nixon, and Obama decided not to prosecute GW Bush. Unfortunately, those are the precedents that Biden has to consider here.

Ford lost because he pardon Nixon. America thought it was not the right thing to do. Obama was also wrong because it showed the Republicans they can get away with murder.
How about setting a new precedent that nobody is above the Law?

[zinderel]

Ford lost because he pardon Nixon. America thought it was not the right thing to do. Obama was also wrong because it showed the Republicans they can get away with murder.
How about setting a new precedent that nobody is above the Law?

I’d argue that the Trump administration and current Republican Party leadership’s criminal behavior and blatant racism are a ‘natural’ outgrowth of Obama not holding the Bush admin - and Right Wong media - accountable for lying us into a war that has been going on now for SO LONG that it is older than the kids we send over now to die. And for what? For nothing I can think of at this point other than ‘because we can’t lose face’ and ‘because we’ve fucked things up so badly that if we leave, everything collapses and they hate us even more’. By not prosecuting the Bush administration for their blatant war crimes, by not holding right wing media accountable for spreading propaganda and disinformation in collusion with the commission of war crimes, Obama set a precedent that Republican leadership has capitalized on: “war crimes don’t matter. Police brutality doesn’t matter. Blatant racism/homophobia/sexism don’t matter. All that matters is doing what we want, and Democrats won’t do a thing.”

If the Democratic Party leadership is the exhausted, distracted babysitters who like the job, but generally likes the money it offers, more? And the Republican Party leadership is the rambunctious, destructive, narcissistic children who do what they want and don’t think or care about who it harms? I would not hire them again, given any other viable option. (Of course, I’m stuck with them thanks to no one else around being willing or able to do it, either, so...wheee...) Democratic leadership needs to regain some credibility and show that they have a spine and CAN do the right thing, even if it’s scary. Show the squealing little brats who have been running the show for far too long that there are consequences to their actions, so that next time, they MIGHT think twice about openly embracing and espousing treason, fascism, religious extremism, and bigotry.

[Mister Mets]

If The Donald suggested a coup to the military, he really ought to be on trial for treason sometime in the near future.

Most likely academic...I really want to be his health insurer.

This would be difficult to prosecute.

It would need to be established what he said. It's a closed room and I doubt the people in there are interested in talking to prosecutors. The evidence will be limited.

It's also hard to prosecute an individual for considering something. Determining whether you can do something illegal, and deciding that it won't work out, isn't the same as doing something illegal.

[PaulBullion]

This would be difficult to prosecute.

It would need to be established what he said. It's a closed room and I doubt the people in there are interested in talking to prosecutors. The evidence will be limited.

It's also hard to prosecute an individual for considering something. Determining whether you cazn do something illegal, and deciding that it won't work out, isn't the same as doing something illegal.

It's almost a certainty at this point that somebody taped it, or Rudy butt-dialed a reporter during the meeting.

[Bruce Wayne]

Other countries has charged their presidents, sitting or otherwise, with crimes. Why is the US so fragile that we can't do the same?

The problem is that it open the door for Republicans to do the same thing. And we all know how they'll likely make up false charges to investigate and prosecute out of office Democrat presidents in revenge for Trump. I mean they'll likely do it anyways given their belief Biden stole the election, but prosecuting Trump will speed things up. The Democrats beating them to it might be a good thing, but it'll likely guarantee the GOP will try and do the same thing for Biden using false trumped up charges.

[Jack Dracula]

This would be difficult to prosecute.

It would need to be established what he said. It's a closed room and I doubt the people in there are interested in talking to prosecutors. The evidence will be limited.

It's also hard to prosecute an individual for considering something. Determining whether you can do something illegal, and deciding that it won't work out, isn't the same as doing something illegal.

Harris, having been a DA would likely come to the same conclusions.
I think if it were to happen, in order to legitimize it for conservatives, it would need to be led by members of the Republican party.

[The Cool Thatguy]

The problem is that it open the door for Republicans to do the same thing. And we all know how they'll likely make up false charges to investigate and prosecute out of office Democrat presidents in revenge for Trump. I mean they'll likely do it anyways given their belief Biden stole the election, but prosecuting Trump will speed things up. The Democrats beating them to it might be a good thing, but it'll likely guarantee the GOP will try and do the same thing for Biden using false trumped up charges.

Not doing something because 'The Republicans will do the same or worse' hasn't stopped the Republicans from doing worse in a long time. We oughta take the plunge.

[Kirby101]

The problem is that it open the door for Republicans to do the same thing. And we all know how they'll likely make up false charges to investigate and prosecute out of office Democrat presidents in revenge for Trump. I mean they'll likely do it anyways given their belief Biden stole the election, but prosecuting Trump will speed things up. The Democrats beating them to it might be a good thing, but it'll likely guarantee the GOP will try and do the same thing for Biden using false trumped up charges.

So basically let them get away with crimes and treason because of extortion? That is the definition of a failed State.

[Adam Allen]

The problem is that it open the door for Republicans to do the same thing. And we all know how they'll likely make up false charges to investigate and prosecute out of office Democrat presidents in revenge for Trump. I mean they'll likely do it anyways given their belief Biden stole the election, but prosecuting Trump will speed things up. The Democrats beating them to it might be a good thing, but it'll likely guarantee the GOP will try and do the same thing for Biden using false trumped up charges.

Yeah, not to dogpile here, but the argument that it will be a precedent that gets abused in the future is often brought up, but I don't think we should be as convinced of its reasonability as we have been.

"We can't charge this murderer for their murder, or else later, someone who has not committed murder will be charged with murder!"

I mean ... if it's just setting the precedent that an incoming Republican administration would convict the outgoing Democrats for crimes they actually did commit? That is not really a bad thing. The Democrats should not commit crimes, either. Or, if they do, they should also be convicted for them.

On the other hand, if the argument is that we can't convict one administration for crimes they have committed, because that would mean you can later convict another administration for crimes they haven't? Well, your argument is essentially that you have absolutely no faith that the system is able to discern and dispense justice. In which case, I'd still say go ahead and prosecute. What are you trying to save, if you already think the system is irrevocably broken?

[worstblogever]

On this date in 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, as well as 2019, “Crazy/Stupid Republican of the Day posted profiles of Florida State Senator Kathleen Passidomo, a member of the Florida House of Representatives who first appeared on the political scene in 2010, who since taking office, has fought hard to allow banks to be able to shorten the amount of time needed before they could seek foreclosure on homes, from five years to one. What really made Passidomo newsworthy, however, was the day she tried to get dress code restrictions passed for Florida schools by trying to justify it after news reports were released about a group of teenage boys in Cleveland, Texas, gang-raping an 11-year old girl, where Passidomo started blaming the victim and saying it was because “she dressed like a prostitute”. When the media reported her utterly disgusting remarks, Passidomo then started playing the victim, herself, and saying he was “really hurt” that people were outraged.

Passidomo was allowed to run for the Florida State Senate for the first time in 2016 unopposed, and she managed to be re-elected in 2018 with 66% of the vote to a second term in the Florida State Senate. Now, this might seem strange to most, but the Florida GOP held a vote to name Passidomo their President of the Florida State Senate… starting in 2022-2026. Apparently, term limits mean that they are jockeying into place, and they’ve decided anyone who is friendly to big banks, thinks that placing guns on school campuses will solve mass shootings on them, and apologizes enough for rape is someone that fits their long term strategy.