Octopus Overlords

Unagi wrote: Thu May 31, 2018 12:41 pm I would have thought that Blago crimes would be Illinois based? I guess not.

He was selling a federal office, so seems like there would be pretty clear federal interest / jurisdiction.

I don't know what Illinois's double jeopardy provisions are like, so conceivably they could re-prosecute, although the statute of limitations may well have passed (and prosecuting such an old crime has enormous practical difficulties).

Unagi wrote: Thu May 31, 2018 12:41 pm I would have thought that Blago crimes would be Illinois based? I guess not.

No, it's a federal indictment. His impeachment was at the state level, but that's not a legal offense on its own merit and has no relation to the indictment.

Blago's in federal prison for (essentially) trying to sell Obama's Senate seat when he was elected President. Federal crime.

I thought I heard that Trump was only considering commuting Blago's sentence, and not officially pardoning him. In other words, he'd be released from the rest of his sentence, but he'd still be a convicted felon with all that entails.

The Stewart and Blago stuff is just crazy. Trump's analysis really doesn't extend beyond "Things that Trump does are good. Things that Obama / Clinton / Comey / etc. did are bad and must be undone."

The Blago thing shows how non-partisan Trump is. He's even willing to help out Democrats (as long as they were on his reality show and hate Obama).

ImLawBoy wrote: Thu May 31, 2018 12:53 pm The Blago thing shows how non-partisan Trump is. He's even willing to help out Democrats (as long as they were on his reality show and hate Obama).

I'm sure that's part of his thinking. He seemed genuinely confused about why Democrats were upset about the Comey firing, when they had been very critical of Comey before.

El Guapo wrote: Thu May 31, 2018 12:19 pm

Captain Caveman wrote: Thu May 31, 2018 11:56 am I just saw a tweet that I figured was a joke but it turns out to be true. Trump just said he's considering pardons for Martha Stewart and Rod Blagojevich!

At some point doesn't the benefit to Trump (of messaging to his associates in legal trouble) start to get outweighed by a growing public perception that "Trump is willing to pardon criminals"? Couldn't that wind up hurting him when he winds up in a pardon dispute that really matters?

Lol.

Oh. You're serious.

Classy.
https://twitter.com/dineshdsouza/status ... 77698?s=21
https://twitter.com/dineshdsouza/status ... 77698?s=21

He remembers that he's guilty, right?

GreenGoo wrote: Thu May 31, 2018 1:03 pm

El Guapo wrote: Thu May 31, 2018 12:19 pm

Captain Caveman wrote: Thu May 31, 2018 11:56 am I just saw a tweet that I figured was a joke but it turns out to be true. Trump just said he's considering pardons for Martha Stewart and Rod Blagojevich!

At some point doesn't the benefit to Trump (of messaging to his associates in legal trouble) start to get outweighed by a growing public perception that "Trump is willing to pardon criminals"? Couldn't that wind up hurting him when he winds up in a pardon dispute that really matters?

Lol.

Oh. You're serious.

I realize that this stuff matters not at all to Trump's base, and that in general this is outweighed by just a metric shit-ton of other stuff, but each thing matters a little, and I imagine that "Trump is pardoning unrepentant criminals" would be a negative to Trump's soft-supporters.

I'm just saying that the cost-benefit analysis of pardons to Stewart and Blago seems way out of whack. Which is why I think the consideration of those is driven just by Trump's lizard brain.

ImLawBoy wrote: Thu May 31, 2018 12:49 pm but he'd still be a convicted felon with all that entails.

Comes with a Jerry Springer-style show?

We know Drumpf views everything on a transactional basis. Everything we know about Blago and D'Souza indicate they are just the type of people who would be happy to scratch Drumpf's back in some way to get a pardon.

The underlying factor in everything Drumpf does, especially the stuff that seems to come out of nowhere, is corruption.

Captain Caveman wrote: Thu May 31, 2018 1:04 pm Classy.
https://twitter.com/dineshdsouza/status ... 77698?s=21
https://twitter.com/dineshdsouza/status ... 77698?s=21

Did you expect anything else from Dinesh?

I guess he doesn't feel any remorse or feel like he's done anything wrong like he did when he pled guilty.

Jeff V wrote: Thu May 31, 2018 1:31 pm

ImLawBoy wrote: Thu May 31, 2018 12:49 pm but he'd still be a convicted felon with all that entails.

Comes with a Jerry Springer-style show?

I don't think Springer was ever convicted of anything, but I could totally see Blago trying his hand at something like that. Either that or he flips to R and runs for office again.

Sepiche wrote: Thu May 31, 2018 1:36 pm We know Drumpf views everything on a transactional basis. Everything we know about Blago and D'Souza indicate they are just the type of people who would be happy to scratch Drumpf's back in some way to get a pardon.

The underlying factor in everything Drumpf does, especially the stuff that seems to come out of nowhere, is corruption.

I will not be surprised when we learn that Blago promised Trump Obama's old senate seat.

Unagi wrote: Thu May 31, 2018 12:41 pm I would have thought that Blago crimes would be Illinois based? I guess not.

It was DOJ. Most of the changes related to him trying to sell a US Senate seat, so federal.

Dude tried to sell a Senate seat. But it was Obama's so all good.

Guess I felt that (and perhaps this is not a crime, so) the state would also have a chip in play, since he was playing fast and loose with Illinois resident's representation. Just seems like that could be something every resident in Illinois could sue him over.

Guess now it's "federal pardon me in the ass prison."

LawBeefaroni wrote: Thu May 31, 2018 3:24 pm "federal pardon me"

I like it, especially if you are about to be rude because you feel like you are not being paid proper attention.

Can I help who's next?
federal pardon me but I've been waiting here a half hour

"Rest assured" and "working hard" are also some of Trump's favorite phrases in tweets.

Hey, don't most Presidents start issuing pardons at the end of their terms, you know, when they have nothing else to lose? Maybe this is a sign of things to come...

Oh... man...

https://twitter.com/maxwelltani/status/ ... 0312241152

On Fox, Rod Blagojevich's wife Patti criticizes Robert Mueller and James Comey: "These same people are trying to do the same thing that they did to my husband on a much larger scale. They were emboldened: They took down a governor and now they've got their sights much higher."

It's like the revolt of the clownish idiot grifters, and I'm terrified that the clownish idiot grifters will win.

They already have. I am beginning to think the 21st century will be known for versions of kleptocracy as the 20th was defined by versions of authoritarianism.

I’m pretty sure every inmate on death row in this country is frantically ordering MAGA hats and other Trump swag off the White House gift shop site right now.

“Today I’ve decided to pardon the Unabomber. Ted, I hope you enjoy all those Trump cufflinks you ordered last night!”

Smoove_B wrote: Thu May 31, 2018 6:58 pm Hey, don't most Presidents start issuing pardons at the end of their terms, you know, when they have nothing else to lose? Maybe this is a sign of things to come...

I had that thought myself. That these were the actions of a lame duck.

Holman wrote: Thu May 31, 2018 7:49 pm Oh... man...

On Fox, Rod Blagojevich's wife Patti criticizes Robert Mueller and James Comey: "These same people are trying to do the same thing that they did to my husband on a much larger scale. They were emboldened: They took down a governor and now they've got their sights much higher."

It's like the revolt of the clownish idiot grifters, and I'm terrified that the clownish idiot grifters will win.

I mean, actually - she is totally correct. But what was done to her husband was justice and the same people are trying to do just that right now, but on a larger scale.

What's so weird is how she doesn't even hear herself.

Unagi wrote:

Smoove_B wrote: Thu May 31, 2018 6:58 pm Hey, don't most Presidents start issuing pardons at the end of their terms, you know, when they have nothing else to lose? Maybe this is a sign of things to come...

I had that thought myself. That these were the actions of a lame duck.

I think the duck knows it too.

They were emboldened: They took down a [corrupt, venal, piece of shit] governor and now they've got their sights much higher.

FTFH

They were emboldened: They took down a [corrupt, venal, piece of shit] governor and now they've got their sights much higher.

FTFH

Wait, Bloga is a democrat, right? I mean, I keep hearing that the dems are all about the whataboutism and how they are just as guilty of defending shitty people as the reps.

Won't someone think of the horse race dynamic? Won't someone behave in such a way as to make the trumpaloos feel vindicated in their stigginit attitude?

I hear all about how the left is "just as bad as" the right, and the only thing that matters is winning.

You guys all suck at this.

Skinypupy wrote: Thu May 31, 2018 11:57 am Great, the toddler-in-chief has found a new toy.

Not a toddler. Not a toddler. YOU"RE A TODDLER!!

Trump Is Probing the Constitution for Weaknesses, and Finding Them.

Also mentions how Blago wrote a WSJ op-ed this week condemning the 'deep state'.

Today's new normal. Tweeting about job numbers an hour before they are officially released. Anyone really think he didn't give his cronies and even bigger heads up. He's breaking you.

I can't decide if this is evidence for or against my theory that Blago and Trump are actually the same person with different wigs.

El Guapo wrote: Fri Jun 01, 2018 9:35 am Trump Is Probing the Constitution for Weaknesses, and Finding Them.

Also mentions how Blago wrote a WSJ op-ed this week condemning the 'deep state'.

I didn't know that he had wrote that op-ed. That makes the connection even more menacing. We are in deep shit here and many people seem to not get what is happening. I don't understand.

malchior wrote: Fri Jun 01, 2018 10:00 am

El Guapo wrote: Fri Jun 01, 2018 9:35 am Trump Is Probing the Constitution for Weaknesses, and Finding Them.

Also mentions how Blago wrote a WSJ op-ed this week condemning the 'deep state'.

I didn't know that he had wrote that op-ed. That makes the connection even more menacing. We are in deep shit here and many people seem to not get what is happening. I don't understand.

They don't care because their side is "winning". Destroying the systems of governance because you happen to currently be in power is the ultimate STIGGINT, so they eat it up.

I can guarantee with 100% certainty that if it were a Democrat doing these same things, the wailing and howling from conservatives would be utterly deafening.

Skinypupy wrote: Fri Jun 01, 2018 10:07 am

malchior wrote: Fri Jun 01, 2018 10:00 am

El Guapo wrote: Fri Jun 01, 2018 9:35 am Trump Is Probing the Constitution for Weaknesses, and Finding Them.

Also mentions how Blago wrote a WSJ op-ed this week condemning the 'deep state'.

I didn't know that he had wrote that op-ed. That makes the connection even more menacing. We are in deep shit here and many people seem to not get what is happening. I don't understand.

They don't care because their side is "winning". Destroying the systems of governance because you happen to currently be in power is the ultimate STIGGINT, so they eat it up.

I can guarantee with 100% certainty that if it were a Democrat doing these same things, the wailing and howling from conservatives would be utterly deafening.

What I'm talking about is most people just feel that Trump isn't a great President -- totally missing the ever deepening degradation of rule of law and general political discourse. I've been reading SPQR and I can't help but feel like we are in the midst of a similar decline as the last 100 years of the Republic but over a period of say 40 years. Nixon probably will be seen as the beginning of it. Sure there were reforms but they didn't stop Trump from happening. The problem was constitutional. Perhaps this slide could have lead to "empire" but for the fact that there are far more competent (yet evil) competitors ready to take the lead on the world stage. We are living as the tragedy unfolds and most are somehow missing it.

El Guapo wrote: Fri Jun 01, 2018 9:35 am Trump Is Probing the Constitution for Weaknesses, and Finding Them.

Also mentions how Blago wrote a WSJ op-ed this week condemning the 'deep state'.

Meanwhile, Trump has unilaterally relaxed trade sanctions on ZTE, a Chinese telecommunications firm that poses a wide array of serious national security risks. Why is Trump bailing out a dangerous Chinese firm that has violated American law? Well, he made his strange decision shortly after China announced a $500M investment in a theme park right next to a Trump-owned property in Indonesia, which will put money directly in Trump’s pocket.

Our national security and interests have never been sold out this completely nor this cheap.