Trump Pardons

Day Two

From The Hill:

President-elect Trump told NBC it was disgraceful President Biden issued pardons to Anthony Fauci, Gen. Mark Milley, former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), and other members of the House panel that investigated the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot.

“It is disgraceful. Many are guilty of MAJOR CRIMES! DJT” Trump texted NBC’s “Meet the Press” host Kristen Welker.

Two folks at HuffPost didn't like the Biden's Pardons, either: 

While these pardons may well save these people from months, if not years, of costly litigation for committing no crimes, they were a terrible idea. They create the appearance of corruption, even where none exists. To those marinating in the Trumpian conspiracy swamps, and even for those who do not closely follow politics, they look like a cover-up. Why pardon someone if they didn’t do something wrong? In feeding the conspiracy, they affirm Trump’s argument that politics is just an elite protection racket, so why shouldn’t he get to do the same?

That argument leaves out one little point. From NPR December, 2020:

President Trump issued dozens more pardons on Wednesday evening to many wealthy and well-connected convicts with ties to his innermost circles, including former campaign chairman Paul Manafort, Republican operative Roger Stone and Charles Kushner, the father-in-law of Ivanka Trump.

And:

The case against Stone was brought by then-special counsel Robert Mueller as part of his probe into Russia's interference in the 2016 election and possible ties between Moscow and the Trump campaign.

Stone was indicted on charges of lying to Congress about what he and then-candidate Trump knew about Russian efforts to discredit Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential campaign, witness tampering and obstruction. The charges related to his efforts during the 2016 presidential race to act as an intermediary between the Trump campaign and WikiLeaks.

But days before Stone, who is Trump's longtime friend and political confidant, was to report to prison in July, the president commuted the 40-month prison sentence.

Trump's already done it.

To their credit, I suppose, the HuffPost duo did acknowledge:

These [pardons] appear to be purely prophylactic pardons meant to protect these individuals from the threat of investigations launched by President Donald Trump, who had promised vengeance through investigation and prosecution against all of the pardoned individuals.

He was going to go after Fauci, et al, anyway. 

In any event, here's some Day One news from the NYTimes:

President Donald J. Trump, in one of his first official acts, issued a sweeping grant of clemency on Monday to all of the nearly 1,600 people charged in connection with the attack on the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, issuing pardons to most of the defendants and commuting the sentences of 14 members of the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers militia, most of whom were convicted of seditious conspiracy.

Mr. Trump’s moves amounted to an extraordinary reversal for rioters accused of both low-level, nonviolent offenses and for those who had assaulted police officers.

And they effectively erased years of efforts by federal investigators to seek accountability for the mob assault on the peaceful transfer of presidential power after Mr. Trump’s loss in the 2020 election. As part of his pardon order, Mr. Trump also directed the Justice Department to dismiss “all pending indictments” that remained against people facing charges for Jan. 6.

He pardoned them or commuted the sentences of people who committed some MAJOR CRIMES, didn't he? 

For example:

The pardons will also wipe the slate clean for violent offenders who went after the police on Jan. 6 with baseball bats, two-by-fours and bear spray and are serving prison terms, in some cases of more than a decade.

Moreover, Mr. Trump pardoned Enrique Tarrio, the former leader of the Proud Boys, who was serving a 22-year prison term after being convicted at trial of seditious conspiracy — a crime that requires prosecutors to prove that a defendant used violent force against the government.

Sure, but Biden's pardons absolutely reek of political corruption. 

The riot of January 6, 2020 was an act of love simply because The Leader said so.

 

 

Biden Pardons

 Good for him.

From The Biden White House:

I believe in the rule of law, and I am optimistic that the strength of our legal institutions will ultimately prevail over politics. But these are exceptional circumstances, and I cannot in good conscience do nothing. Baseless and politically motivated investigations wreak havoc on the lives, safety, and financial security of targeted individuals and their families. Even when individuals have done nothing wrong—and in fact have done the right thing—and will ultimately be exonerated, the mere fact of being investigated or prosecuted can irreparably damage reputations and finances.

That is why I am exercising my authority under the Constitution to pardon General Mark A. Milley, Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, the Members of Congress and staff who served on the Select Committee, and the U.S. Capitol and D.C. Metropolitan police officers who testified before the Select Committee. The issuance of these pardons should not be mistaken as an acknowledgment that any individual engaged in any wrongdoing, nor should acceptance be misconstrued as an admission of guilt for any offense. Our nation owes these public servants a debt of gratitude for their tireless commitment to our country.

Good for him.

Resist.

Day one.

George Orwell famously wrote:

Freedom is the freedom to say that two plus two make four. If that is granted, all else follows.

Elsewhere, he wrote:

And yet the peculiar horror of the present moment is that we cannot be sure that this is so. It is quite possible that we are descending into an age in which two and two will make five when the Leader says so.

In this case, "the Leader" is being inaugurated President of the United States later today.

He's a criminal, found guilty on 34 felony charges in the state of New York. He was also found liable to have committed real estate fraud and sexual assault. He owes hundreds of millions in fines for the fraud and for defaming the woman he assaulted.

These are facts. His MAGA cult will tell you they're lies - and that is just because their leader says so.

Protect your self. Protect your sensitive communications. Especially if you are in any of the communities soon to be targeted by The Leader's second administration.

Get a Proton Mail account.

From PCMag:

You can use Proton Mail at no charge, while paying for an account removes some limits and enables advanced features. Proton Mail stores your data using zero-knowledge encryption, meaning only you can access it. A disgruntled employee can’t rummage through your Proton Mail messages, and the best subpoena in the world can’t force the company to turn over your account.

So if two people are communicating via Proton Mail, it's end-to-end encrypted. You can send encrypted email (password protected) out of Proton Mail as well.

You can store documents there as well - just go to Proton Drive.

Proton also has a VPN.

What's a VPN?

Again, PCMag:

A private network configured within a public network such as the Internet or a carrier's network. A VPN provides anonymity and privacy for every desktop and mobile device that accesses the Internet. VPNs use so-called "tunneling" protocols because they tunnel a private channel through a public network.

Get a Tor Browser.

From PCMag:

The easiest way is with Tor Browser. Tor, which stands for The Onion Router, is more than just one of the best web browsers. It's a technology stack that hides your web activity by routing and obscuring it through multiple nodes, like the layers of an onion. Its use for nefarious activities is well chronicled, but it's your best option if you want real privacy online. Tor Browser is a free, open-source project that simplifies protecting your identity online.

All of the above are available in free versions, though you can upgrade the Proton stuff.

I have no financial interest in any of it. I'm using the free versions.

This is Good-Bye - For Now

I've been at this for a little more than 20 years and it's a wonderful journey. 

I tried my best to fact check and offer commentary (with an attitude, as one friend told me early on) in order to clear the political haze that constantly surrounds us.

And yet, here we are.

It's just too overwhelming right now. I need some time off and I have no idea how much.

Until I come back, I won't be blogging any more.

Best of luck to you all.

David

PS: The blog will remain on line.

Thinking About This Piece - A Few Days Before The 2024 Presidential Election

Some text highlights (from Lincoln's SOTU, 1862):

Fellow citizens, we cannot escape history.... The fiery trial through which we pass will light us down in honor or dishonor to the latest generation. We, even we here, hold the power and bear the responsibility.

And (this is from the Lincoln-Douglas debate):

It is the eternal struggle between two principles, right and wrong, throughout the world. It is the same spirit that says 'you toil and work and earn bread, and I'll eat it.' No matter in what shape it comes, whether from the mouth of a king who seeks to bestride the people of his own nation, and live by the fruit of their labor, or from one race of men as an apology for enslaving another race, it is the same tyrannical principle.

And (this is from the Gettysburg Address):

That from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion. That we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain. That this nation under God shall have a new birth of freedom and that government of the people, by the people, and for the people shall not perish from the earth.

Vote for Harris. Vote Against Trump (and every one of Trump's enablers).

Save the country.

Republicans For Harris

We'll start with these names from Time:

• Former Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger 
• Former Vice President Dick Cheney 
• Former Representative Adam Kinzinger 
• Anthony Scaramucci 
• Former Georgia Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan 
• Former Senator Jeff Flake 
• 200 former Bush, McCain, and Romney staffers 
• Alberto Gonzales 

And add these names from CBS:

• Former Rep. Liz Cheney 
• 17 Former Reagan staffers 
• William Webster 
• John Negroponte
  

Add these names from The Washington Post:

• Barbara Pierce Bush (daughter of George W. Bush) 
• 114 Republican former national security and foreign policy officials 
• A dozen lawyers who served under Republican presidents
  

And so on.

 

VP Harris At The Ellipse

 

From CBS News:

Vice President Kamala Harris on Tuesday night delivered her closing argument against former President Donald Trump at the same site he encouraged his supporters to "fight like hell" on Jan. 6, 2021, before they marched to the U.S. Capitol and tried unsuccessfully to halt the certification of President Biden's victory. 

"We know who Donald Trump is," Harris said. "He is the person who stood at this very spot nearly four years ago and sent an armed mob to the United States Capitol to overturn the will of the people in a free and fair election, an election that he knew he lost."

"America, we know what Donald Trump has in mind. More chaos. More division. And policies that help those at the very top and hurt everyone else. I offer a different path. And I ask for your vote," she said. 

Good enough for me.

The Joke: Two Views

First, from JD Vance:

Vance: I have heard about the joke… Maybe it's a stupid, racist joke.. Maybe it is not. But we have to stop getting so offended at every little thing can a United States of America. I’m so over it pic.twitter.com/I93s68plT8

— Acyn (@Acyn) October 28, 2024

Message: To all the easily offended snowflakes out there, just get over it.

Second, from the Archbishop of Puerto Rico:

The Archbishop of Puerto Rico formally rebukes Donald Trump, demanding that he personally apologize: “It is not sufficient for your campaign to apologize. It is important that you, personally, apologize for these comments.” pic.twitter.com/fK1qR9Vukg

— Matt McDermott (@mattmfm) October 29, 2024