Profiles in Courage

[Why_Yes_I_Do]

Originally Posted by Precious_b

...t fearless leader is in office because the majority didn't vote him in...

Pssst... he did not win the Cocker Spaniel vote either. The Cocker Spaniel vote and popular vote have the exact same zero value in the US Constitution, in case no one told you already. Just a friendly PSA for ya...

[Why_Yes_I_Do]

Originally Posted by Dev Null

Maybe Donald's copy of the Constitution granting him the right to interfere in the sentencing of one of his many criminal cronies, while ignoring the duty of the President to faithfully execute the law:...

Looking at the old, dusty copy of the US Constitution that I have on hand, it would appear that the GEPOTUS is in the Executive branch of government and that both the military and LEO related departments report to him and in fact serve at his pleasure. Which is to say that his version of executing the law is the law. Now, a group from another branch, can you guess which, could over ride his interpretation. Ah shoot, you'll never guess, so I'll just tell you - it's the Judicial branch, which interprets the law and yes, Virginia, it is in fact covered in my old dusty copy of the US Constitution as well. Golly Ghee Willikers...

[Precious_b]

Originally Posted by Why_Yes_I_Do

Pssst... he did not win the Cocker Spaniel vote either. The Cocker Spaniel vote and popular vote have the exact same zero value in the US Constitution, in case no one told you already. Just a friendly PSA for ya...

So kind of you.
Are you this helpful to little old ladies crossing the street? I would hope so. Because the attention span for such probably equates to a Cocker Spaniel. I've already posted this well worn folk tale a few times on this site already. Kinda doing my part, like you thought you were for me.

You can be a lamb, ellen, and stop ducking this. But I know you must love it constantly being brought up.

[Dev Null]

Originally Posted by Why_Yes_I_Do

GEPOTUS is in the Executive branch of government and that both the military and LEO related departments report to him and in fact serve at his pleasure. Which is to say that his version of executing the law is the law.

Republicans: tough on crime, except when it's their own.

https://www.theguardian.com/commenti...rr-roger-stone

In the years leading up to his resignation, Nixon turned the justice department and FBI into his personal fiefdom, enlisting his appointees to reward his friends and penalize his enemies. He brought conspiracy charges against critics of the Vietnam war, for example, and ordered the department to drop an antitrust case against ITT after the conglomerate donated money for the 1972 Republican convention.

During the Senate Watergate investigation, Nixon’s stooges kept him informed. Reports about how compromised the justice department had become generated enough public outrage to force the appointment of the first Watergate special prosecutor, Archibald Cox.

Before Nixon’s mayhem was over, his first two attorneys general were deep in legal trouble – John Mitchell eventually served 19 months in prison – and his third resigned rather than carry out the demand to fire Cox.

After Nixon resigned, the entire slimy mess of Watergate spawned a series of reforms designed to insulate the administration of justice from politics.

During the years I worked at the justice department, officials teamed up with a bipartisan group of congressional leaders with the goal of making justice the most independent part of the executive branch.

“Our law is not an instrument of partisan purpose,” said Edward Levi, Gerald Ford’s attorney general.

Regulations were put into place to insulate the FBI and DoJ from political interference. The FBI director was given a 10-year term. A protocol allowed for the appointment of outside prosecutors. US attorneys were to be independent.

White House officials and justice department lawyers weren’t supposed to exchange information about ongoing criminal investigations or civil enforcement actions. A 2007 memorandum allowed the department to advise the White House of criminal or civil enforcement matters “only where it is important for the performance of the president’s duties and where appropriate from a law enforcement perspective”.

Now we’re back to where we were 50 years ago. Trump seems determined to finish Nixon’s agenda of rigging elections and making the justice department a cesspool of partisanship.

Trump has out-Nixoned Nixon: firing FBI director James Comey after asking him to “let go” of an inquiry into former national security adviser Michael Flynn’s interactions with Russian officials; repeatedly calling the Russian inquiry a politically motivated “witch-hunt”; urging the firing of the FBI’s No 2 official because of alleged Democratic allegiances; launching an assault on special counsel Robert Mueller’s own investigation; and appointing a lapdog attorney general, William Barr, to do whatever the president wishes.

Barr has out-Nixoned Nixon’s attorney general, John Mitchell: whitewashing Mueller’s conclusions; defending Trump’s phone call to the president of Ukraine seeking dirt on Joe Biden; defending Trump during the House impeachment; refusing to enforce congressional subpoenas; opening an “intake process” for dirt Rudy Giuliani dredges up on Trump’s political opponents; and continuing to respond to Trump’s every whim including, this week, suggesting Stone should get a milder sentence than the one career prosecutors recommended.

In November, Stone was convicted of obstructing Congress and seeking to intimidate witnesses. This week, prosecutors recommended Stone be sentenced to between seven and nine years in prison. Applying federal sentencing guidelines, they reasoned that Stone deserved it because he had threatened to harm a witness – to whom he sent the message “prepare to die” – and his conduct had resulted in “substantial interference in the administration of justice”.

Trump’s view is that he has ultimate power – an “absolute right” – to control the justice department.

That’s as wrongheaded now as it was when Nixon held the same view. If a president can punish enemies and reward friends through the administration of justice, there can be no justice. Justice requires impartial and equal treatment under the law. Partiality or inequality in deciding whom to prosecute and how to punish invites tyranny.

Trump neither understands nor cares about justice. He cares about nothing but himself. Like Nixon, he has usurped the independence of the Department of Justice for his own ends.

[Why_Yes_I_Do]

Originally Posted by Dev Null

...During the Senate Watergate investigation...

Wasn't it Old Hillbags that got tossed of the Demonirats council team for being too unethical? How unethical does one have to be to get cast off by Demonicrats?

[Why_Yes_I_Do]

Originally Posted by Precious_b

...Are you this helpful to little old ladies crossing the street?

Old cub scouts habits are hard to break. Also guilty of opening doors for ladies, pulling out the chair for them and have been know to give them the occasional compliment.

[Precious_b]

Originally Posted by Why_Yes_I_Do

Old cub scouts habits are hard to break. Also guilty of opening doors for ladies, pulling out the chair for them and have been know to give them the occasional compliment.

Ima sure Hillary appreciated it.

[Dev Null]

Originally Posted by Why_Yes_I_Do

Wasn't it Old Hillbags that got tossed of the Demonirats council team for being too unethical? How unethical does one have to be to get cast off by Demonicrats?

More speculative fiction from the peanut gallery:

https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/hi...ton-watergate/

https://www.politifact.com/factcheck...-watergate-in/

And of course the story you describe turns out to be 100% pure unmitigated bullshit.

You should go back to pleasuring Vladimir Putin. You're better at it.

[Precious_b]

Watch out using that Politifact website, Dev.
That's garlic/wooden stake/silver crucifix all rolled in one for veracity of source quoting.
Heavy stuff for someone to counter with a site that isn't on the tyrannical side. (I'm still shocked ellen quoted yahoo news.)