Oh the irony:
@Dr_Do-Little - I’m sure the memes have already started with that photo!
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Haven’t saw that one yet but I’v seen meme about the mask and veil couple weeks ago.
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“Has the Trump era really damaged our thinking to this degree?“
Yes. The civil libertarian in me can no longer rely upon either party to champion basic humanitarian and Constitutional rights.
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Excuse me, but are you seriously of the opinion that Attorney General Barr is doing a solid job that is in line with law and constitution? Such a shining example of duty to the constitution should of course never be disturbed by some simple judges that don’t understand what a tremendous job Bill Barr is doing.
I mean, who (except Temet and me) needs to read the report of that partisan crony Mueller anyway, when a shining star of justice like Barr provides a summary that says his boss, who appointed him around 2 months before, did nothing wrong. And is of course off-limits to any kind of investigation or, god forbid, prosecution.
And sure Flynn is innocent, just like Roger Stone or Michael Cohen. Oh wait, Cohen testified against Trump, so that one is definitely guilty and got off too easy.
Funny, how Mueller’s investigation seems to be forgotten. Just a reminder, it did not lead to the full exoneration Trump and Barr claimed. So I am thoroughly unsure if Flynn is the innocent lamb, he is depicted as.
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I mean, I agree with what you’re saying Mike, but my view on the article is mixed depending on which part of it. Flynn is guilty. Now we can discuss whether the FBI should have those powers, but as is he’s been treated with absolute kid gloves compared to what they do to the public. It’s inane to pretend otherwise. And bluntly, if those laws are there, why should sycophants be above them, while the rest of us aren’t? Admittedly, there are more questions here we don’t have answers to, but that’s not quite the same as ignoring what we do know about the case. And the known unknowns actually make Flynn look worse.
The rest of the article has more of a point though. Feinstein is a Democrat, and is one of the leaders in assaulting our liberties. Along with maybe half a dozen or so others. Unfortunately, attacks on civil liberties are one of the few remaining bipartisan measures in Congress.
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That’s the interesting question here. How many presidential tweets were calling for a pardon of simple citizens?
Trump likes to calls himself the Chief Law Enforcement Officer of the country, which is true in one point: the current attorney general sure does not fit the description.
The point is, a few tweets are obviously enough to make the DOJ deep-six any pretention of following the rule of law, while Barr spouts stuff like this:
“I want to make sure that we restore confidence in the system. There’s only one standard of justice"
Asked whether he was doing Trump’s bidding, Barr said: “I’m doing the law’s bidding.”
From:
Even if I disregard that the incumbent of the oval office wants the DOJ to investigate ‘obamagate’, a look at the pardons and tweet-induced shortening of sentences left me with the impression that authoritarian tendencies aren’t only to be found on the ‘left’ (which Biden does not represent).
As a local newspaper recently asked: Does Trump know the separation of powers?
I don’t think so. And even if he does, he doesn’t care about it in any way.
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Trump’s behavior in this regard goes beyond belief. You realize previous Presidents would hesitate to even comment on cases, since it might be considered to be undue influence? There was furor over this just when Obama commented that sexual assault cases in the military should be prosecuted. From recollection an earlier President’s comments actually resulted in a mistrial (I’d have to look that up though, since it’s vague, and I don’t remember which one. Reagan maybe?)
It’s bizarre to look back and realize that Trump’s day to day behavior would be a major scandal in any other administration. That we’ve passed so many impeachable behaviors for another President that it’s no longer reasonable to keep track. Trump hasn’t just been treated with kid gloves, he’s had everyone from the media to Congress to the legal system pander to him obsessively. It’s surreal.
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How does Obama dare? What a classless behaviour?
Well, at least if one asks the enabler-in-chief about it:
“I think it’s a little bit classless, frankly, to critique an administration that comes after you. You had your shot. You were there for eight years. I think the tradition that the Bushes set up – of not critiquing the president who comes after you – is a good tradition.”
Does he really think anyone would forget that he is working for Captain Classless himself?
Or that there also is a long-standing tradition that the current president doesn’t personally attack the person who came before him. I guess the current GOP folks just overlooked that. 
Taken broadly, what McConnell is doing here is what Trump and his party have been doing for the last three-plus years: Shattering every possible presidential norm with glee while also demanding that political opponents adhere to those same norms. I’ve lost count at the number of times Trump expresses faux shock at the language used by one of his rivals even as he curses and impugns them without a second thought. Or demands that someone be fired for making a mistake or airing an incorrect claim even as he has racked up literally thousands of misstatements and falsehoods during his time in office.
Which is nothing new, but as of now it requires a special kind of idiot to still depict Trump as a competent and caring leader who is unjustly attacked with left-wing hoaxes and witch hunts.
Speaking of witch hunts: #Obamagate!
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Even W has gone after Trump in those terms. That said, the source is ridiculous anyways, McConnell has been one of the most destructive forces in American politics in terms of political norms. And hypocrisy on this is not merely unsurprising from him, it’s expected.
I was more surprised when he admitted he was wrong about Obama leaving behind a pandemic emergency plan.
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Heh, that makes two of us. I really didn’t see that coming.
Edit:
Maybe someone can enlighten me on which of these truly horrible scandals Trump is talking about…
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I’m almost convinced that Obamagate is all about embarrassment and jealousy.
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I stand by what I wrote. Because it’s true.
Pardon me, but I do not see what I wrote that would give you that impression?
He may very well be. However, failing to turn over evidence to his defense team is not the way to convince me. That’s a red flag. Editing, and re-editing the notes of his interview in lieu of recording it also doesn’t go very far to convince me.
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Maybe it’s just me - and it seems like it might be - but Flynn’s prosecution doesn’t seem entirely appropriate, given the government’s behavior in the case.
You guys are missing the real fun:
Apparently enough of those attending these lockdown protests had voluntarily used a tracking app (which in itself is a bit of a head scratcher) which shows extensive travel to and from protests at which no one was taking isolation precautions seriously:
I’m with Doug Ford on this one: the Canada-US border restrictions definitely need to stay in place past the end of this week.
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Yep, it is.
Oh, you’re pardoned, of course 
I seldom get personal and I was more going after the article you posted than you as a person. Maybe my use of ‘you’ was less than clear at this point. Apologies.
What I wanted to point out is that the orange tweetlord is out to save his cronies without any regard for the rule of law. Going against that is, in my opinion at least, not
the kind of thing one would expect from a judge in Belarus.
Not bowing to presidential fiat enforced by Barr’s Department of ‘Justice’ is hardly an authoritarian move in my view.
My impression is that Taibbi is trying to further undermine Mueller’s report. That will get him into Trump’s ‘not fake news’-list, probably, but it doesn’t convince me that the judiciary should bend over backwards to appease the high and mighty tweetlord. The separation of powers Trump feels impeded by on a regular basis is part of the Constitution for a reason.
But sure, anything against presidential fiat is against America, if one asks the right people. (Which, again, does not mean you personally).
Actually, I just was in the mood for some virus-free critique of that shame to jurists everywhere, also known as Bill Barr
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Is he by any chance related to that other Barr who was just forced to resign his committee chair position due to allegations of insider trading?
Also, Bill Barr is a pretty low barr to beat… 
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Not related as far as I can see. And the other Barr was Richard Burr, chairman of the US senate intelligence committee.
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Ah! My mistake. Falls down to the sound of…
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Honestly, my thoughts were along the lines of:
Oh, VH could be right about that, maybe those Barrs are actually related.
So, no need to fall down to the sound…
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And he is the ‘sane’ brother of the 2 of them. Jeremy is a delusional idiot, who never met a terrorist he did not want to hug and become best buddys with.
I am not a conservative fan at all but labour have not fielded a candidate that had even a slim chance of being PM since Tony Blair (not saying Blair was good, just electable btw)
2 runs with Corbyn giving easy wins to the tories and before that we had the gawp that could not even eat a bacon butty like a human Ed Miliband
His brother David on the other hand would have had a real shot at it, yet the unions backed easy to sway Ed instead of rational and logical David. Because you know who needs reason and logic when running a country when you can just manipulate the ■■■■ out this guy that’s not even learned to eat yet.
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