Octopus Overlords

gilraen wrote: Wed Aug 10, 2022 3:11 pm Did Melania just want that shit cleared out of the house?

malchior wrote: Wed Aug 10, 2022 3:01 pm Interesting twist on the story.

Isgrimnur wrote: Wed Aug 10, 2022 9:10 pm

malchior wrote: Wed Aug 10, 2022 3:01 pm Interesting twist on the story.

For Mortis and others who don't like twitter threads.

Isgrimnur wrote: Wed Aug 10, 2022 9:10 pm

malchior wrote: Wed Aug 10, 2022 3:01 pm Interesting twist on the story.

For Mortis and others who don't like twitter threads.

Unagi wrote: Thu Aug 11, 2022 8:13 am Adverse inference permitted

Just as with the “big lie” of a stolen election, the GOP’s newest big lie — that the FBI is abusing its power in searching former president Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home for improperly removed documents — is as dangerous as it is false.

Republicans are using the incendiary claim — including comparisons of the FBI’s lawfully executed warrant to Nazi violence — to rile up their base and undermine the rule of law. They risk inciting violence from the same unhinged forces that stormed the U.S. Capitol.

...

The FBI search was no lark. A grand jury was impaneled in the spring to look into document removal; the search required a showing of probable cause before a federal magistrate.

GOP leaders vowing to investigate the FBI — in essence, stop the investigation in order to protect Trump — have no basis for their accusations of abuse of power. They certainly know a warrant requires probable cause, meaning the judicial branch has weighed in on the propriety of the search. Having joined in on the calls to “lock her up!” when Hillary Clinton was the subject of an FBI investigation, they ostensibly know these are serious matters.

Nevertheless, once more many in the media are uncritically regurgitating GOP false accusations, sharing Republicans’ obscene comparisons of the FBI to Nazis and even repeating ridiculous conspiracy theories that evidence was planted. In doing so, the media are amplifying ominous warnings — threats, really — that the FBI will regret this. Far too many outlets take at face value that Republicans are “outraged” rather than acknowledging that many Republicans fully understand the search warrant process and are trying to whip up their base.

When considering an invitation to Republican propagandists to appear on TV or when airing their attacks on law enforcement (who must execute warrants every day, running the risk of violent responses), the media might want to rethink their role in helping to stoke another MAGA meltdown. At the very least, they should ask Republicans some tough questions: (note this is where she provides a long list of great questions)

...

This is yet another dangerous moment in which Republicans are fanning the flames of indignation with lies, unfounded accusations and baseless conspiracy theories. This time, the media should reflect on its own role in enabling the GOP to tear down our democracy.

Zaxxon wrote: Thu Aug 11, 2022 9:22 am The WaPo should talk to the WaPo about that.

Zaxxon wrote: Thu Aug 11, 2022 9:22 am The WaPo should talk to the WaPo about that.

Holman wrote: Thu Aug 11, 2022 11:30 amIn what is surely unrelated news, a gunman attacked the Cincinnati FBI office this morning.

malchior wrote: Thu Aug 11, 2022 12:09 pm

Holman wrote: Thu Aug 11, 2022 11:30 amIn what is surely unrelated news, a gunman attacked the Cincinnati FBI office this morning.

It's almost like there are consequences when you just pump out constant paranoia and outrage into the public square.

Former President Donald J. Trump received a subpoena this spring in search of documents that federal investigators believed he had failed to turn over earlier in the year, when he returned boxes of material he had improperly taken with him upon moving out of the White House, three people familiar with the matter said.

The existence of the subpoena helps to flesh out the sequence of events that led to the search of Mr. Trump’s Florida home on Monday by F.B.I. agents seeking classified material they believed might still be there, even after efforts by the National Archives and the Justice Department to ensure that it had been returned.

The subpoena suggests that the Justice Department tried methods short of a search warrant to account for the material before taking the politically explosive step of sending F.B.I. agents unannounced to Mar-a-Lago, Mr. Trump’s home and members-only club.

Two people briefed on the classified documents that investigators believe remained at Mar-a-Lago indicated that they were so sensitive in nature, and related to national security, that the Justice Department had to act.

Two people briefed on the classified documents that investigators believe remained at Mar-a-Lago indicated that they were so sensitive in nature, and related to national security, that the Justice Department had to act.

Smoove_B wrote: Thu Aug 11, 2022 1:39 pm

Two people briefed on the classified documents that investigators believe remained at Mar-a-Lago indicated that they were so sensitive in nature, and related to national security, that the Justice Department had to act.

Here's what I don't get though. Assuming that's what this is all about (and it's yet to be verified), he's had these documents since ~January of 2021. Why did it take until August of 2022 for someone at the DoJ to finally decide, yup, these are so sensitive that we need to get them immediately.

Jaymann wrote: Thu Aug 11, 2022 1:53 pm Finally issuing an indictment of Florida Man?

Jaymann wrote: Thu Aug 11, 2022 1:53 pm Finally issuing an indictment of Florida Man?

malchior wrote: Thu Aug 11, 2022 1:42 pm

Smoove_B wrote: Thu Aug 11, 2022 1:39 pm

Two people briefed on the classified documents that investigators believe remained at Mar-a-Lago indicated that they were so sensitive in nature, and related to national security, that the Justice Department had to act.

Here's what I don't get though. Assuming that's what this is all about (and it's yet to be verified), he's had these documents since ~January of 2021. Why did it take until August of 2022 for someone at the DoJ to finally decide, yup, these are so sensitive that we need to get them immediately.

Garland probably had to be convinced. If I was to force rank his prioritization of concerns it might very well shake out this way (nominally): Protecting the Constitution, protecting the Office of the President, protecting the DOJ, and dead last giving two shits about the death of our democracy if he doesn't act expeditiously...because it might look political. In the end, he is a man who'd be a great rebuilder if the house wasn't still on fire. He might have been perfectly suited for say the Ford or Carter administration where the danger was mostly past.

malchior wrote: Thu Aug 11, 2022 1:54 pm

Jaymann wrote: Thu Aug 11, 2022 1:53 pm Finally issuing an indictment of Florida Man?

Sub 1% of that happening...ever.*

*Not scientific in any way - just the way it feels.

El Guapo wrote: Thu Aug 11, 2022 2:13 pm For one, I'm not sure that we really know when exactly the DOJ learned about these documents. Once they do, I would expect that they would go through a fairly lengthy process to try to get Trump to turn them over because the search warrant route was so fraught. Plus you add in a heaping dose of bureaucratic inertia. On top of that, there seems to be indications that DOJ may have gotten a witness recently as to the documents which would both increase the odds that you get the search warrant and successfully get the documents, but which also has a time limit component (the farther out from the witness's info the less likely the search warrant and the less likely the search is to be successful).

malchior wrote: Thu Aug 11, 2022 1:35 pm Edit: To summarize the scam line - Trump's people are claiming he was cooperating with the subpoena and the DOJ search warrant was politically motivated. The counter to that argument is that they took boxes of materials. The NY Times *of course* throws some water on that by quoting unnamed sources saying some of the boxes were "not filled to the brim". Whatever the fuck that means.

Octavious wrote: Thu Aug 11, 2022 3:02 pm Can't watch. So did we get him?

Octavious wrote: Thu Aug 11, 2022 3:10 pm So a big fat nothing as always. Cool

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