I agreed with everything right up to the last. But the best way to avoid false equivalencies is for the responsible press to stop making them. It was press coverage, mainstream as well as partisan, that weaponized Benghazi and emails against Hillary.
Exactly right. I was so fed up with the media headlines hyperbolizing this issue that I wrote letters this morning to the Times and Post saying they were part of the problem. Said there was a difference between accurate reporting by professional journalism and clickbait, tabloid headlines for profit. Doesn't matter that the media includes caveats below in their articles to explain the false equivalence, because the emotional impact of their headlines is what sticks in memories. And it's divisive as hell.
Both are true at the same time; what you say and RR’s advice to Biden. The press, incl the NYT and WAPO, has been so transparently craven:the screaming headlines for those looking for any equivalence, and then covering their behinds with bullet points about differences for the chorus to read.
Both papers in this case, in my opinion, have been equally bad regarding the Biden documents. WAPO had bold full page headlines on their front page. The NYT had theirs front page left side. Both covered themselves with clarifications of the differences. For those that are only interested in headlines that’s all that is needed.
There is a process legally to classify documents. Highly classified documents are not de-classified on a whim---or as trump said, to simply think it and they are not classified. Not only that, documents are NOT the property of anyone; they are directed to go to the Department of Archives. One, is required to keep all documents, including those written memos that we all do at work. Add to that, DOJ requested that trump be held in contempt of court because he refused to release said documents; indeed, he said they were his. Sadly, a Federal Judge did not uphold said request.
There is the Rule of Law to release all documents; trump doesn't regard any laws except his own.
Chuck-That Trump had authority (a process he did not follow) and Biden did not did not is moot because that is not what this is about. Had Trump followed the process there would still be an issue of taking away (stealing) boxes of documents, some classified and top secret, to keep that belong to the American people and refusing, resisting the return. As well compromising US security by keeping them at his country club. Did Biden steal the documents he had or were they inadvertently held in his office/s, papers, found, and returned?
You know I wondered the same thing when Comey came out right before the election 2016 with the e- mails of Hillary and Dons election cycle. I believed it was wrong.
They admit they kept the news because of exactly what happened:it blew up in the news as a gotcha. As far as "keeping in three different places" I did not know whether you refer to Trump or Biden. Biden's were in his papers. Trump in boxes taken. You are smelling Biden but have forgotten the stench of Trump.
15 BOXES. that belonged to the National Archives were retrieved. Retrieved!
“Of the documents retrieved by NARA from Mar-a-Lago, archivists and federal agents determined that 184 unique documents had classification markings, of which 25 were marked "top secret", 92 "secret" and 67 "confidential".[6][7] Some materials were governed by special access programs (SAP), a type of protocol reserved for extremely sensitive U.S. operations conducted abroad, intended to significantly limit access to the information.[8][9][10]” quote from Wikipedia.
As was said .. it was under wraps and then THEY revealed after the election because of the gotcha seeking the GOP operatives do consistently. They were then FORTHCOMING. Chunk cut it out already.
Chuck… all over the place? You are really into false equivalency? Trump carted out boxes!! Refused to return voluntarily. You sre just being obtuse and wanting the gotcha to not focus on the obvious difference. You cannot be reasoned with.
Are you saying that Biden was in the wrong, but the orange sadist was in the right. Not understanding your post, and would appreciate clarification. Thanks.
But trump DIDN'T declassify! He just took everything with him, and when told to return it, said "It's MINE!" and refused to comply with the law. He SAID he did, but he was either lying or delusional, I'm never sure which. Where are you getting your information?
Yes, thanks. I blame this phenomenon (irresponsible press prioritizing advertising and “views” over nuance and facts) as a primary cause of Trump’s election in the first place. “But her e-mails ….”
President Biden has already achomplished so much in two years! [sic] I know he won't let a few obsolete, sad "f_cking morons" upset his plans . . . let's hope anyway.
Rules of Logic and Debate get chewed up and spit out by the Repug “Info War” machine. The bottom line is: Someone behind the scenes has orchestrated this for sensationalism. Biden will not be running for re-election in 2024. If we don’t watch out, we will be crowning Tyrant Death Santos.
And did you happen to catch the latest Repug move re: the Senate? Charles KKKoch has moved his chess pieces so that former Sen. Ben Sasse can sabotage the U. Of Florida with the “National Christian” agenda while neatly opening the Nebraska Senate seat. Former-Gov. Pete Ricketts and his daddy’s money made certain that their choice, Pillen, could step into the governor’s office. In turn, Pillen placed Pete Ricketts into the Senate position. Ricketts couldn’t win that Senate seat on a fair election, so the Billionaire Club members, Charles Koch and Joe Ricketts, purchased the seat for Pete Ricketts.
Besides global climate change, the single greatest threat to this democracy is “Citizens United.”
I do so wish that she had thought about the significance of the upcoming election, and resigned at the beginning of 2020 to give Obama the chance to nominate a decent human being, instead of turning three choices over to the Orange sadist and his team. Broke my heart.
When you said Tyrant Death Santos, I was wondering whether you meant the current Florida governor or the freshman fake congressman from New York (or has he relocated to Florida?). I was thinking just this morning, could someone as clearly unfit as Santos become President, & realized, in the kakistocracy that we've become, yes, he can. Just as Trump did & DeSantis could.
Ha!Ha! I meant the Florida tyrant, Death SantIs. The one who is accountable for covid deaths by hampering vaccinations and their accessibility. But, good point! George Santos has Russian money backing him. He’s a plant, not in a wholesome, green way. Lucian Truscott IV has a good review of this on substack: HOW RUSSIA HAS INFECTED OUR POLITICS…Dec. 31, 2022.
Ginsburg told The New Republic that she would overturn the 2010 ruling if she could.
“I think the notion that we have all the democracy that money can buy strays so far from what our democracy is supposed to be,” she said. “I think members of the legislature, people who have to run for office, know the connection between money and influence on what laws get passed.”
You must be confusing Byrds—a common error. Virginia Senator Harry Byrd (1887 - 1966) was a virulently destructive racist. When West (by god) Virginia Senator Robert Byrd died in 2010 the NAACP issued a statement that praised him as “a champion for civil rights and liberties” and for his support for the NAACP civil rights agenda. WV Bobby Byrd grew up in the boonies, joined the KKK when young, in the 1940s, quit, and spent the rest of his life doing good deeds trying to atone. E.g., as a member of the judiciary committee he had intended to vote for Clarence Thomas until Anita Hill's testimony reversed his vote (not Biden's, however). Teddy Kennedy and Bobby were tight, and he was an effective Democratic party operative. Compare and contrast in Wikipedia.
There IS no equivalence! Did President Biden possibly commit a crime? Maybe. Did Bunkerboy ABSOLUTELY commit MANY, MANY, MANY CRIMES, then refuse to own up to them? Absolutely!
Benjamin, I assume you’re referring to GQP. YES, there is absolutely NOTHING they wouldn’t do. The main reason they needed to rid themselves of the Ethics Office. They commit atrocities over and over because there are no consequences.
I was just referring to the fact that it would not be classified as an actual crime but a matter of ethics. I don’t believe Biden would do such a blatant ethics violation like the orange lunatic who-thinks-he’s-king would.
SandyC I fully disagree. You know that the Rs are already repeating it as if there is an equivalency between the two. They have the audacity to mention it while their fascist-loving coup inciting criminal still awaits any justice at all. It would have been downright stupid for Democrats to do so. The media is owned by ultra right, we’re not going to suddenly incur rational thought from them.
Because we are under the thumb of fascists. I do not believe for one moment Biden would intentionally hide documents. Remember, one of his sons died during this time. Whereas one of the worst criminals in US history is being protected by the republican party, therefore, they have no right whatsoever to open their damn mouths regarding any infraction by anyone else.
The advantage of having a special prosecutor for the Biden documents is that it will be possible to get to the bottom of the issue: Who put the documents into the containers in which they were found? Was it Biden or someone else? Could this be a set-up by Biden’s enemies? I ask this because political sabotage is an obvious motive — in this case, it’s an easy copy-cat crime that might have been accomplished by a Watergate-style “burglar” team. It might be easy to bribe an employee of U. Penn or the Biden household to enable the planting of the documents. As everyone knows, the Republicans have lots of money to spend on nefarious deeds. The special prosecutor will find out.
Biden has not a tenth of the corruption and lies of Deadbeat Trump. Wake up. Trump has been a cheat and liar big time since the 80s. Where are my steaks and Trump U degree Deadbeat Trump?
When the GOP makes a stink about the documents (it doesn't matter who found them and that it is a false equivalency) they are admitting TFG having documents is a crime. Good. If Biden isn't squeaky clean we're going to have to accept it and deal with it, as Garland is doing. This is how we show we're different from the GOP.
Unfortunately and predictably Republicans have all ready started their denunciation of Robert Hur starting with his association with FBI director Wray, another Trump appointee.
Somehow, media outlets are hesitant to wonder whether the small number of documents found among Biden's papers were planted there? Indeed, the timing of them being discovered seems like such a lucky "accident" for the Republicans that it's actually rather hard to swallow that those papers were hiding there for the many years since Biden was VP without having been found sooner. Just wondering...
DZK (I think that's what he goes by) convinced me a few days ago that this is a possibility.
It is wise to be skeptical of conspiracy theories, but Republicans have proven that sometimes they can be valid. If you think of the worst thing they could do, that often is what they would do.
It may have been in an earlier Reich column. Not sure I can find it. However, I just got a comment that disappeared from the comment section, & so did my response.
@Jack Velten. Biden's own personnel found the documents. It might have been ethically dubious for the Biden Administration not to immediately announce something, but it might have also been a responsible act not to announce disruptive news items: 1) in the middle of an election when normal election processes might have been impacted, and 2) before all the facts were fully known. If you read the news you will know that a reporter first breached the news, not the Administration.
Get used to it; those Republican Reps aren't in Congress to represent YOU, silly...they are in there to generate fake outrage and throw meaty but insubstantial morsels to their drooling cult base.
And that action was solely for the benefit of those members who have something to hide and some potential criminal exposure by asking for a pardon and other supportive acts of the insurrectionists. No other person or government body benefits from such a self-interested move.
In less than two years Biden created more jobs than any other president before him.
Biden provided $1.9T in relief, TFG $1.9T tax cuts for uber wealthy & corporations.
Biden-$1.2T infrastructure package! TFG-No wall paid for by Mexico, Did NOT bring jobs back from China, as promised, Committed a laundry list of high crimes, incited a deadly coup, did NOT lower health costs.
Republican accomplishments : Stopped AG laws that prevented corporate farms, brought us McCarthyism, Iran Iraq war/occupation, JFK assassination, Iran Contra scandal.
Lots of accomplishments toward ruining the country & people.
Seeking Reason ; The GOP also brought us a corrupt, stacked supreme court; Citizens United, Rupert Murdoch media, taxes on Social Security, weak FCC, FEC, EPA and now IRS. They do not even hide the fact that they want to keep people from voting or even having Democracy itself.
Tell it sister! We need to compile the list and hand out all 17 pages for people to reference! 😄👍🏼
In all seriousness, a velvet revolution would be something…but we will probably be pushed further into ultimately seeing a violent one. Notice how Garland came out, stronger than ever to put on a show of investigating Biden. How about he show some urgency for arguably one of the worst criminals in US history. Or maybe we’ll wait another 2 years! 😡
You absolutely get my point! I'll do the House you do the Senate. It isn't a competition, but more like tag team wrestling. Just because "we know that" doesn't mean we shouldn't keep pointing it out.
It wasn't always that the two parties won't speak to each other.
Amen to that. He is a man of honor and direction. The GOP is lost and will continue to be that way until their direction is found and the fringe players ( the liars, crazies and self absorbed) are exposed for what they are and thrown out of our government.
Maybe your MAGA friends planted them in that third place? Since the investigation is just starting, it does not count to just assume he is guilty. You are not being fair minded, Jack Velten. If he is guilty. It will be found out. In the meantime, President Biden is a real President and has done some good for our voters unlike your guy and his MAGAt supporters.
And maybe they weren’t planted at all and Biden did leave these documents in all the places they were discovered, his cognitive abilities are waning and he simply could have forgotten he was in possession of classified documents. He is a documented liar also.
Mike ; I'm sure you have never told a lie. But Biden has done more for the voters than anyone in recent memory, more than the minority MAGA 'leaders' for sure.
...which probably means Republican operatives planted documents on Biden, since whatever Republicans accuse the Democrats of doing, the Republicans have already done, are now doing, or are contemplating doing.
Creating chaos through a focus on procedure rather than addressing problems, and social policy is the tactic of the Right. ( Birther controversy about Obama comes to mind. And Trump learned that telling that lie didn’t have the usual repercussions that usually stick to an unmasked liar) Why don’t Americans know by now that these tactics are self defeating? That our lives are worse because of the time wasted avoiding real problems.
You seem to have missed a critical failure of the news media that did not look into the Trump White House staff removal of Secret documents in January 2021. The first public statement that I can find is from the national archives in January 2022 (1 year later!). The news media didn't really pick it up until August 2022 after months of Trump lies, denials, & claims that he owned those documents.
The result of years of underfunding education -- an unfortunately large percentage of the population will just run with whatever sound-bite they are fed.
@Jack Velten. Education is funded (under funded) at the local level. This is self-reinforcing since hyper-religious, under-educated, rural Republicans consistently under fund their own kids' education hoping to keep those kids enthralled to the superstitions of yesteryear and the false political narratives that the adults are lapping up. You are really a terrible troll. You don't seem to know even the basics. The Democrats and "blue states" fund education very well and then become attacked as "the coastal elites." If people in the "red states" would educate their kids appropriately, they could become the "heartland elites". But fearful, xenophobic, racist, anti-science, anti-vax parents don't really want their kids to be educated!
Thanks for making the distinction about the document mess. The distinctions between the GOP & the Democrats are in high contrast in so many ways, yet we are all stil human beings. Merritt Garland is such an inappropriate AG. IMO, his placement at the DOJ is a glaring mistake. He seems frozen in inaction, fearful that holding Trump and his cronies to court proceedings will upset the GOP and start what? The overwhelming lawlessness is beyond started, its blooming and replicating with everyday he lets Trump & associates continue to walk freely. Citizens of the US pay dearly for all the mistakes being made today as well as those you referred to in a previous post where you described the corporate subsidies without regulation or accountability. The GOP wants a feudal state. We need braver people than Merritt Garland to resist those actions.
I think you are wrong about Garland, he is doing his job and in my mind doing it well. Yes I a frustrated with the pace but I don't see it moving in the wrong direction or any kind of cover-up / white wash. Remember how long it took back in the 70's to bring cases against Nixon's inter circle. (I only wish Nixon hadn't been pardoned - that was a big mistake by Ford). As to Garland remember that he must be independent of Biden and the White House, not a repeat of Barr. My bottom line is that Trump must be charged and he should serve time for the rest of his "SAD" life.
Justice delayed perpetuates the problem and lets it get magnified. The leader of the insurrection must be shutdown ASAP. Assassination is bad policy and a terrible precedent, so in this nasty, violent environment there must be JUDICIAL ACTION!
I disagree with your comment about Garland. I'm glad he appointed special counsel to check into this document situation with Biden. The GOP can't say Garland is playing favorites or whatever their newest conspiracy would be.
I'm also relieved he appointed Jack Smith to investigate trump and Jan 6. He's on the move, even though it doesn't look that way.
This corruption has so many players and facets to it. They'll be investigating for years.
Be grateful there are people who are doing their jobs. It's been a long time since we've watched real wheels of justice turn.
Thank you for this message. If only all people who need to hear it would listen. I want to stay focused ,calm and informed but it is so awful watching this circus.
“The task for Biden and the White House will be to keep an even keel ... the contrast between the House Republicans’ zany partisan escapades and Biden’s seriousness of public purpose will offer the most potent means of avoiding all false equivalences.”
Really? How’s that been working out for them?
The Democrats have been trying the “Let’s just ignore them and wait for people to see we’re the competent ones and vote for us” strategy for decades and all it’s accomplished is to embolden Republicans.
The Democrats need to stop waiting for sanity to prevail and start forcefully calling Republicans out on their shit.
Take just the recent confidential documents false equivalence. Dems should be united and overwhelming in their response, grabbing every reporter within reach and challenging them, forcefully, to their faces, on their making up facts and deliberately distorting what happened.
More “Oh, that’s bullshit, Chuck, and you know it. Now do your job right and stop being a shill for Republican lies.” And no more “Well, gosh, I’m not going to question your reporting because that would be rude. I’ll just passively wait for people to figure it out for themselves.”
I agreed with everything right up to the last. But the best way to avoid false equivalencies is for the responsible press to stop making them. It was press coverage, mainstream as well as partisan, that weaponized Benghazi and emails against Hillary.
Exactly right. I was so fed up with the media headlines hyperbolizing this issue that I wrote letters this morning to the Times and Post saying they were part of the problem. Said there was a difference between accurate reporting by professional journalism and clickbait, tabloid headlines for profit. Doesn't matter that the media includes caveats below in their articles to explain the false equivalence, because the emotional impact of their headlines is what sticks in memories. And it's divisive as hell.
YES!!!!!
You are spot on!
Both are true at the same time; what you say and RR’s advice to Biden. The press, incl the NYT and WAPO, has been so transparently craven:the screaming headlines for those looking for any equivalence, and then covering their behinds with bullet points about differences for the chorus to read.
Do you think that WaPo has been equally bad (equivalent to) as the NYT?
Both papers in this case, in my opinion, have been equally bad regarding the Biden documents. WAPO had bold full page headlines on their front page. The NYT had theirs front page left side. Both covered themselves with clarifications of the differences. For those that are only interested in headlines that’s all that is needed.
Whew! Thank you.
There is a process legally to classify documents. Highly classified documents are not de-classified on a whim---or as trump said, to simply think it and they are not classified. Not only that, documents are NOT the property of anyone; they are directed to go to the Department of Archives. One, is required to keep all documents, including those written memos that we all do at work. Add to that, DOJ requested that trump be held in contempt of court because he refused to release said documents; indeed, he said they were his. Sadly, a Federal Judge did not uphold said request.
There is the Rule of Law to release all documents; trump doesn't regard any laws except his own.
https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/18/3a.22#:~:text=(1)%20All%20information%20and%20material,information%20or%20material%20which%20the
Chuck-That Trump had authority (a process he did not follow) and Biden did not did not is moot because that is not what this is about. Had Trump followed the process there would still be an issue of taking away (stealing) boxes of documents, some classified and top secret, to keep that belong to the American people and refusing, resisting the return. As well compromising US security by keeping them at his country club. Did Biden steal the documents he had or were they inadvertently held in his office/s, papers, found, and returned?
You know I wondered the same thing when Comey came out right before the election 2016 with the e- mails of Hillary and Dons election cycle. I believed it was wrong.
They admit they kept the news because of exactly what happened:it blew up in the news as a gotcha. As far as "keeping in three different places" I did not know whether you refer to Trump or Biden. Biden's were in his papers. Trump in boxes taken. You are smelling Biden but have forgotten the stench of Trump.
15 BOXES. that belonged to the National Archives were retrieved. Retrieved!
“Of the documents retrieved by NARA from Mar-a-Lago, archivists and federal agents determined that 184 unique documents had classification markings, of which 25 were marked "top secret", 92 "secret" and 67 "confidential".[6][7] Some materials were governed by special access programs (SAP), a type of protocol reserved for extremely sensitive U.S. operations conducted abroad, intended to significantly limit access to the information.[8][9][10]” quote from Wikipedia.
As was said .. it was under wraps and then THEY revealed after the election because of the gotcha seeking the GOP operatives do consistently. They were then FORTHCOMING. Chunk cut it out already.
They kept it be
Chuck… all over the place? You are really into false equivalency? Trump carted out boxes!! Refused to return voluntarily. You sre just being obtuse and wanting the gotcha to not focus on the obvious difference. You cannot be reasoned with.
Are you saying that Biden was in the wrong, but the orange sadist was in the right. Not understanding your post, and would appreciate clarification. Thanks.
But trump DIDN'T declassify! He just took everything with him, and when told to return it, said "It's MINE!" and refused to comply with the law. He SAID he did, but he was either lying or delusional, I'm never sure which. Where are you getting your information?
Thank you for your kind words. I'll be sure not to enter another discussion in the future.
Yes, thanks. I blame this phenomenon (irresponsible press prioritizing advertising and “views” over nuance and facts) as a primary cause of Trump’s election in the first place. “But her e-mails ….”
As a professor himself, he could be very influential with them.
Exactly. Ignore the distractions and get on with the agenda.
President Biden has already achomplished so much in two years! [sic] I know he won't let a few obsolete, sad "f_cking morons" upset his plans . . . let's hope anyway.
Yes: LET'S ALL HOPE!!!
Rules of Logic and Debate get chewed up and spit out by the Repug “Info War” machine. The bottom line is: Someone behind the scenes has orchestrated this for sensationalism. Biden will not be running for re-election in 2024. If we don’t watch out, we will be crowning Tyrant Death Santos.
And did you happen to catch the latest Repug move re: the Senate? Charles KKKoch has moved his chess pieces so that former Sen. Ben Sasse can sabotage the U. Of Florida with the “National Christian” agenda while neatly opening the Nebraska Senate seat. Former-Gov. Pete Ricketts and his daddy’s money made certain that their choice, Pillen, could step into the governor’s office. In turn, Pillen placed Pete Ricketts into the Senate position. Ricketts couldn’t win that Senate seat on a fair election, so the Billionaire Club members, Charles Koch and Joe Ricketts, purchased the seat for Pete Ricketts.
Besides global climate change, the single greatest threat to this democracy is “Citizens United.”
Ginsburg’s regret....
I do so wish that she had thought about the significance of the upcoming election, and resigned at the beginning of 2020 to give Obama the chance to nominate a decent human being, instead of turning three choices over to the Orange sadist and his team. Broke my heart.
When you said Tyrant Death Santos, I was wondering whether you meant the current Florida governor or the freshman fake congressman from New York (or has he relocated to Florida?). I was thinking just this morning, could someone as clearly unfit as Santos become President, & realized, in the kakistocracy that we've become, yes, he can. Just as Trump did & DeSantis could.
Ha!Ha! I meant the Florida tyrant, Death SantIs. The one who is accountable for covid deaths by hampering vaccinations and their accessibility. But, good point! George Santos has Russian money backing him. He’s a plant, not in a wholesome, green way. Lucian Truscott IV has a good review of this on substack: HOW RUSSIA HAS INFECTED OUR POLITICS…Dec. 31, 2022.
please clarify
Ginsburg told The New Republic that she would overturn the 2010 ruling if she could.
“I think the notion that we have all the democracy that money can buy strays so far from what our democracy is supposed to be,” she said. “I think members of the legislature, people who have to run for office, know the connection between money and influence on what laws get passed.”
You must be confusing Byrds—a common error. Virginia Senator Harry Byrd (1887 - 1966) was a virulently destructive racist. When West (by god) Virginia Senator Robert Byrd died in 2010 the NAACP issued a statement that praised him as “a champion for civil rights and liberties” and for his support for the NAACP civil rights agenda. WV Bobby Byrd grew up in the boonies, joined the KKK when young, in the 1940s, quit, and spent the rest of his life doing good deeds trying to atone. E.g., as a member of the judiciary committee he had intended to vote for Clarence Thomas until Anita Hill's testimony reversed his vote (not Biden's, however). Teddy Kennedy and Bobby were tight, and he was an effective Democratic party operative. Compare and contrast in Wikipedia.
Too bad you can’t even troll legibly
There IS no equivalence! Did President Biden possibly commit a crime? Maybe. Did Bunkerboy ABSOLUTELY commit MANY, MANY, MANY CRIMES, then refuse to own up to them? Absolutely!
That's the one thing DeadbeatTrump does well, break laws and lie.
76 and Republicans have been solid liars since the 50s with Traitor Joe McCarthy who my friend's late father helped bring down
And now we have an equally reprehensible McCarthy leading the House.
Ironic, isn't it.
Ironic -- and TERRIFYING!
YAY for your father!!
Biden would not have committed a crime, it is an ethics issue.
@Seeking. Or political sabotage...
Benjamin, I assume you’re referring to GQP. YES, there is absolutely NOTHING they wouldn’t do. The main reason they needed to rid themselves of the Ethics Office. They commit atrocities over and over because there are no consequences.
🎯
I was just referring to the fact that it would not be classified as an actual crime but a matter of ethics. I don’t believe Biden would do such a blatant ethics violation like the orange lunatic who-thinks-he’s-king would.
Daniel H L, And still going at it! There is no equivalency whatsoever!
SandyC I fully disagree. You know that the Rs are already repeating it as if there is an equivalency between the two. They have the audacity to mention it while their fascist-loving coup inciting criminal still awaits any justice at all. It would have been downright stupid for Democrats to do so. The media is owned by ultra right, we’re not going to suddenly incur rational thought from them.
Because we are under the thumb of fascists. I do not believe for one moment Biden would intentionally hide documents. Remember, one of his sons died during this time. Whereas one of the worst criminals in US history is being protected by the republican party, therefore, they have no right whatsoever to open their damn mouths regarding any infraction by anyone else.
The advantage of having a special prosecutor for the Biden documents is that it will be possible to get to the bottom of the issue: Who put the documents into the containers in which they were found? Was it Biden or someone else? Could this be a set-up by Biden’s enemies? I ask this because political sabotage is an obvious motive — in this case, it’s an easy copy-cat crime that might have been accomplished by a Watergate-style “burglar” team. It might be easy to bribe an employee of U. Penn or the Biden household to enable the planting of the documents. As everyone knows, the Republicans have lots of money to spend on nefarious deeds. The special prosecutor will find out.
Or some of the Secret Service agents loyal to Trump & now working for Biden.
Biden has not a tenth of the corruption and lies of Deadbeat Trump. Wake up. Trump has been a cheat and liar big time since the 80s. Where are my steaks and Trump U degree Deadbeat Trump?
Are you a lawyer? Biden’s “team” is showing dumbass rePUGliCONs how it’s done! Media owned by rich white rePUGliCONs say what THEY want us to hear!
When the GOP makes a stink about the documents (it doesn't matter who found them and that it is a false equivalency) they are admitting TFG having documents is a crime. Good. If Biden isn't squeaky clean we're going to have to accept it and deal with it, as Garland is doing. This is how we show we're different from the GOP.
Yes, I liked that Garland picked someone appointed by Trump but generally believed to be ethical.
Unfortunately and predictably Republicans have all ready started their denunciation of Robert Hur starting with his association with FBI director Wray, another Trump appointee.
Somehow, media outlets are hesitant to wonder whether the small number of documents found among Biden's papers were planted there? Indeed, the timing of them being discovered seems like such a lucky "accident" for the Republicans that it's actually rather hard to swallow that those papers were hiding there for the many years since Biden was VP without having been found sooner. Just wondering...
I agree, Benjamin R !
@Laurie. ;-D
Hi, Janet!
DZK (I think that's what he goes by) convinced me a few days ago that this is a possibility.
It is wise to be skeptical of conspiracy theories, but Republicans have proven that sometimes they can be valid. If you think of the worst thing they could do, that often is what they would do.
It may have been in an earlier Reich column. Not sure I can find it. However, I just got a comment that disappeared from the comment section, & so did my response.
Alright. Next time you see DZK, you can ask about it. I'm sure he'd love to talk about it.
You have a great weekend, too, Janet!
@Jack Velten. Biden's own personnel found the documents. It might have been ethically dubious for the Biden Administration not to immediately announce something, but it might have also been a responsible act not to announce disruptive news items: 1) in the middle of an election when normal election processes might have been impacted, and 2) before all the facts were fully known. If you read the news you will know that a reporter first breached the news, not the Administration.
I agree with you, Stan.
Besides, Biden has been in po!itics too long to know better than to do this.
Republican House of Representatives Day 4: Promises made and what's been done
Inflation-Nothing, Crime, nothing, Immigration Noting, education Nothing, Healthcare nothing, Fentanyl death nothing.
Get used to it; those Republican Reps aren't in Congress to represent YOU, silly...they are in there to generate fake outrage and throw meaty but insubstantial morsels to their drooling cult base.
All sizzle, no steak.
Actually, they did accomplish something: destroy the House Ethics Committee.
And that action was solely for the benefit of those members who have something to hide and some potential criminal exposure by asking for a pardon and other supportive acts of the insurrectionists. No other person or government body benefits from such a self-interested move.
Jack Velten ; Go troll someplace else!
Birds of a feather...
In less than two years Biden created more jobs than any other president before him.
Biden provided $1.9T in relief, TFG $1.9T tax cuts for uber wealthy & corporations.
Biden-$1.2T infrastructure package! TFG-No wall paid for by Mexico, Did NOT bring jobs back from China, as promised, Committed a laundry list of high crimes, incited a deadly coup, did NOT lower health costs.
Republican accomplishments : Stopped AG laws that prevented corporate farms, brought us McCarthyism, Iran Iraq war/occupation, JFK assassination, Iran Contra scandal.
Lots of accomplishments toward ruining the country & people.
Seeking Reason ; The GOP also brought us a corrupt, stacked supreme court; Citizens United, Rupert Murdoch media, taxes on Social Security, weak FCC, FEC, EPA and now IRS. They do not even hide the fact that they want to keep people from voting or even having Democracy itself.
Tell it sister! We need to compile the list and hand out all 17 pages for people to reference! 😄👍🏼
In all seriousness, a velvet revolution would be something…but we will probably be pushed further into ultimately seeing a violent one. Notice how Garland came out, stronger than ever to put on a show of investigating Biden. How about he show some urgency for arguably one of the worst criminals in US history. Or maybe we’ll wait another 2 years! 😡
Seeking Reason; like Santos suggested: just have to "wait 2 years" to get rid of him.
You absolutely get my point! I'll do the House you do the Senate. It isn't a competition, but more like tag team wrestling. Just because "we know that" doesn't mean we shouldn't keep pointing it out.
It wasn't always that the two parties won't speak to each other.
How many parties would you like to see?
Amen to that. He is a man of honor and direction. The GOP is lost and will continue to be that way until their direction is found and the fringe players ( the liars, crazies and self absorbed) are exposed for what they are and thrown out of our government.
Oh, the GOP will definitely have a heyday with this bit of intel
Marjorie Taylor Groan has repeatedly said that Biden planted all of trump’s secret documents to trumpy
I sometimes think that maybe a MAGA person planted the Classified documents in Biden's residences.
Here , here!
Me thinks the MAGA protest way too much.
🤔😏
Agreed, Kate!
Maybe your MAGA friends planted them in that third place? Since the investigation is just starting, it does not count to just assume he is guilty. You are not being fair minded, Jack Velten. If he is guilty. It will be found out. In the meantime, President Biden is a real President and has done some good for our voters unlike your guy and his MAGAt supporters.
And maybe they weren’t planted at all and Biden did leave these documents in all the places they were discovered, his cognitive abilities are waning and he simply could have forgotten he was in possession of classified documents. He is a documented liar also.
Maybe this and maybe that, Mike. That is why an investigation is warranted.
Mike ; I'm sure you have never told a lie. But Biden has done more for the voters than anyone in recent memory, more than the minority MAGA 'leaders' for sure.
...which probably means Republican operatives planted documents on Biden, since whatever Republicans accuse the Democrats of doing, the Republicans have already done, are now doing, or are contemplating doing.
Jaime ; That' true!
Hell yea,” Monkey See Monkey Do”.
Of course the monkey (s) here are our, One and Only- MAGA GOP (guns over people ) partisan puppets by -well
We all know who 🤨
Creating chaos through a focus on procedure rather than addressing problems, and social policy is the tactic of the Right. ( Birther controversy about Obama comes to mind. And Trump learned that telling that lie didn’t have the usual repercussions that usually stick to an unmasked liar) Why don’t Americans know by now that these tactics are self defeating? That our lives are worse because of the time wasted avoiding real problems.
Don't fall into their trap of distraction. Just run the Country and protect our Democracy.
You seem to have missed a critical failure of the news media that did not look into the Trump White House staff removal of Secret documents in January 2021. The first public statement that I can find is from the national archives in January 2022 (1 year later!). The news media didn't really pick it up until August 2022 after months of Trump lies, denials, & claims that he owned those documents.
https://www.archives.gov/press/press-releases/2022/nr22-001#january-31-2022
The result of years of underfunding education -- an unfortunately large percentage of the population will just run with whatever sound-bite they are fed.
@Jack Velten. Education is funded (under funded) at the local level. This is self-reinforcing since hyper-religious, under-educated, rural Republicans consistently under fund their own kids' education hoping to keep those kids enthralled to the superstitions of yesteryear and the false political narratives that the adults are lapping up. You are really a terrible troll. You don't seem to know even the basics. The Democrats and "blue states" fund education very well and then become attacked as "the coastal elites." If people in the "red states" would educate their kids appropriately, they could become the "heartland elites". But fearful, xenophobic, racist, anti-science, anti-vax parents don't really want their kids to be educated!
Benjamin, 🎯
Thanks for making the distinction about the document mess. The distinctions between the GOP & the Democrats are in high contrast in so many ways, yet we are all stil human beings. Merritt Garland is such an inappropriate AG. IMO, his placement at the DOJ is a glaring mistake. He seems frozen in inaction, fearful that holding Trump and his cronies to court proceedings will upset the GOP and start what? The overwhelming lawlessness is beyond started, its blooming and replicating with everyday he lets Trump & associates continue to walk freely. Citizens of the US pay dearly for all the mistakes being made today as well as those you referred to in a previous post where you described the corporate subsidies without regulation or accountability. The GOP wants a feudal state. We need braver people than Merritt Garland to resist those actions.
I think you are wrong about Garland, he is doing his job and in my mind doing it well. Yes I a frustrated with the pace but I don't see it moving in the wrong direction or any kind of cover-up / white wash. Remember how long it took back in the 70's to bring cases against Nixon's inter circle. (I only wish Nixon hadn't been pardoned - that was a big mistake by Ford). As to Garland remember that he must be independent of Biden and the White House, not a repeat of Barr. My bottom line is that Trump must be charged and he should serve time for the rest of his "SAD" life.
Absolutely. Why does Barr still have a law license? Every damn lawyer who tried to help trump and his corruption should have their licenses revoked.
Justice delayed perpetuates the problem and lets it get magnified. The leader of the insurrection must be shutdown ASAP. Assassination is bad policy and a terrible precedent, so in this nasty, violent environment there must be JUDICIAL ACTION!
Yes, I wonder if it'll take assassinations of politicians before we get action, or if even that's not enough.
I disagree with your comment about Garland. I'm glad he appointed special counsel to check into this document situation with Biden. The GOP can't say Garland is playing favorites or whatever their newest conspiracy would be.
I'm also relieved he appointed Jack Smith to investigate trump and Jan 6. He's on the move, even though it doesn't look that way.
This corruption has so many players and facets to it. They'll be investigating for years.
Be grateful there are people who are doing their jobs. It's been a long time since we've watched real wheels of justice turn.
Thank you for this message. If only all people who need to hear it would listen. I want to stay focused ,calm and informed but it is so awful watching this circus.
“The task for Biden and the White House will be to keep an even keel ... the contrast between the House Republicans’ zany partisan escapades and Biden’s seriousness of public purpose will offer the most potent means of avoiding all false equivalences.”
Really? How’s that been working out for them?
The Democrats have been trying the “Let’s just ignore them and wait for people to see we’re the competent ones and vote for us” strategy for decades and all it’s accomplished is to embolden Republicans.
The Democrats need to stop waiting for sanity to prevail and start forcefully calling Republicans out on their shit.
Take just the recent confidential documents false equivalence. Dems should be united and overwhelming in their response, grabbing every reporter within reach and challenging them, forcefully, to their faces, on their making up facts and deliberately distorting what happened.
More “Oh, that’s bullshit, Chuck, and you know it. Now do your job right and stop being a shill for Republican lies.” And no more “Well, gosh, I’m not going to question your reporting because that would be rude. I’ll just passively wait for people to figure it out for themselves.”