TFN: "Pres. Joe Biden and his White House communications team lied repeatedly about whether he would pardon his son, Hunter. Okay, 'lied' is a strong word — it might have been absolutely true when they said it."
Iirc, within the context of the time, Biden promised only not to PRE-EMPTIVELY pardon his son prior to a proper investigation and a fair trial -- did he promise anything AFTER his son's conviction?
I found this right quick from AP: "President Joe Biden said in a statement issued shortly after the verdict that he would accept the outcome and 'continue to respect the judicial process as Hunter considers an appeal.' ” I do not find this statement determinative as to whether Biden lied -- he was still letting the "judicial process" play out, as is his wont -- it's not clear to me that he had already decided on a pardon at the time of this June 2024 statement
TFN: "So…you’re saying the Justice Department was…politicized? And this went on under Biden appointee Attorney General Merrick Garland? And we’re supposed to believe that political pressure had more impact on the Hunter case than on the Trump case(s)?!?"
We-e-ell-ll-ll . . .
The investigation into Hunter Biden was initiated in Jan '19 by the Delaware FBI and US Attorney’s Office under former President Trump
When Biden acceded to the Presidency, he did not fire or re-assign US Attorney David Weiss, but instead established the referenced pre-trial 'hands off' policy regarding his son's legal woes -- l see no 'political pressure' here (but l do have my blind spots)
TFN: "And we’re supposed to believe that political pressure had more impact on the Hunter case than on the Trump case(s)?!?"
I might argue that everyone is “working class” perhaps except clergy, lawyers, and doctors, to whom there is ascribed some level of “a calling.” But even those called to those professions can be venal and vile, so let’s just say that if you are working for someone else, you are, indeed, in the working class.
"If voters are believing dumb things why?" You have to ask? Because Insane Clown blamed the Biden administration for the drastic rise in prices. And because Kamala couldn't or wouldn't put her damn pom poms down long enough to put the blame where it belongs on Insane Clown's clownish pandemic response. Even Biden during his disastrous debate that was one coherent thing he said but it got lost amidst all the stumbling and mumbling and fumbling. Democrats will keep on losing because they have a will to lose.
What about this recently passed bill, HR 9495, which could strip tax-exempt status from nonprofits that support “terrorism”? Has it occurred to anyone that a political party is, by definition, a nonprofit? And that the dictator-on-day-one could decide that the Democratic Party is, in fact, a terrorist-supporting organization? And that the outrage over this decision could lead to nationwide protests that would prove the dictator right and legitimize him to declare a state of emergency, that would have to be combated with the the help of the military?
I was glad to see Biden pardon his son. Of course, the republicans will lose their minds, making up all kinds of reasons why he shouldn't have. But hearing some of the democrats' responses were unbelievable, especially one saying "he put family over country and he should not have done that." Really?? YOU wouldn't put family over country? Or over anything?? BS
I think President Biden needs to preemptively pardon all the people Trump is going to go after. They have done nothing wrong and have worked hard to make our government better, and they need to be protected from soulless criminals.
The New Republic article on climate populism and naming Big Oil as the common villain is an excellent read, plus great quotations from Pat Ryan, excerpt below. Get it in front of Ben Wikler’s eyes!
After summarizing his populist strategy for winning an easy reelection in one of the toughest districts in the country, Congressman Pat Ryan provided a great example of how climate can fit into and strengthen a populist approach. Ryan explained the importance of naming “the billionaires and big corporations making record-breaking profits while the rest of us struggle.” He listed various ways he communicated this message: calling on a utility CEO to resign, going after Wall Street speculators, taking on Big Pharma. And then he wrote, “And yeah, I rallied with AOC for clean water and climate action.… If you want to say I’m a progressive for saying polluters should pay to clean up their mess, feel free. I don’t give a sh*t about labels. I care about delivering for my constituents and my community.”
Until Democrats are campaigning on radically unraveling the inequitable system they helped build, a ton of voters won’t see any reason to support Democrats.
After repub administrations shatter the economy, Dems swing in to fix it. Then stupid racist rurals crave CHANGE and bring in repubs again to destroy things. Lather rinse repeat. As long as people have to focus and spend on damage control, progress is retarded. What is your suggestion for how to progress against inequality? Now we have the spectre of climate change overlaying our more simple struggles. We need ideas, doable solutions immediately.
How about we stop moving to the center to appease republicans that will never, ever see any benefit in raising taxes and funding things that actually help people? How about dems start screaming about getting money out of politics and moving to a publicly funded election system? How about dems start embracing policies that the majority of people support like gun control, raising the minimum wage or god forbid, a universal healthcare system? Can we try any of those solutions?
Let's get idiot voters to show up and vote properly so we can get the supermajorities NEEDED TO DO THESE THINGS. Unless we are there, this is all smoke. Bills can be lovingly written and supported and reported on, and are shot down like pigeons when the Gross Old Pervs care to, as long as the power balance is theirs. Embracing and screaming is happening and has been happening. And we can embrace and scream in one hand and $hit in the other and see which one fills up first.
Calling people "idiot voters" or Bernie Bros or horseshoe dems or even, sneeringly "progressives" is not likely to win hearts and minds. Embracing or screaming is not at all happening. Did you hear Kamala talk about any of those ideas?
Kamala stood for nothing and fought for nothing. Insane Clown had his way with her and she just stood there waving her pom poms like a fucking Barbie Doll.
Anyone who thought Joe wouldn’t pardon Hunter is smoking better stuff than I’ve ever been able to get my hands on. And I’ve got access to some pretty excellent stuff.
I think I actually consumed a total of 3 paragraphs of that newsletter today. Friend of the Bulwark, Tom Nichols, has been all over Bluesky this morning defending his position on the pardon. He’s gone so far as to quote skeet responses and argue with people that way. Seriously. These people need to shut the fuck up. I am so tired of these people saying that Donald will just have an excuse to do XYZ. The man does not need a fucking excuse. He’s told us all exactly how terrible he’s going to be and well, I am sorry that they don’t believe it. If Joe hadn’t pardoned Hunter, he would spend the next 4 years fighting with the DOJ about some bullshit garbage or another.
Something is broken, so this is the rest of the comment:
I just read the Triad, and I really want to nuke all of New Jersey at the moment because it was just awful. And lo- they have recorded a special "Secret" to dish on this, guess I will not listen to that either. To hear Longwell pontificate about how this is enabling the mango tinged Mussolini will make me go postal.
It’s just a whole bunch of people screeching about things that no longer matter to anyone but them. The whole “the Trumpers are laughing” story is a case in point. The rules changed and the Democrats haven’t picked up the new book yet. Joe pardoning his kid was the least he could do.
.
TFN: "Pres. Joe Biden and his White House communications team lied repeatedly about whether he would pardon his son, Hunter. Okay, 'lied' is a strong word — it might have been absolutely true when they said it."
Iirc, within the context of the time, Biden promised only not to PRE-EMPTIVELY pardon his son prior to a proper investigation and a fair trial -- did he promise anything AFTER his son's conviction?
I found this right quick from AP: "President Joe Biden said in a statement issued shortly after the verdict that he would accept the outcome and 'continue to respect the judicial process as Hunter considers an appeal.' ” I do not find this statement determinative as to whether Biden lied -- he was still letting the "judicial process" play out, as is his wont -- it's not clear to me that he had already decided on a pardon at the time of this June 2024 statement
TFN: "So…you’re saying the Justice Department was…politicized? And this went on under Biden appointee Attorney General Merrick Garland? And we’re supposed to believe that political pressure had more impact on the Hunter case than on the Trump case(s)?!?"
We-e-ell-ll-ll . . .
The investigation into Hunter Biden was initiated in Jan '19 by the Delaware FBI and US Attorney’s Office under former President Trump
When Biden acceded to the Presidency, he did not fire or re-assign US Attorney David Weiss, but instead established the referenced pre-trial 'hands off' policy regarding his son's legal woes -- l see no 'political pressure' here (but l do have my blind spots)
TFN: "And we’re supposed to believe that political pressure had more impact on the Hunter case than on the Trump case(s)?!?"
This strikes me as a non-sequitur
.
I might argue that everyone is “working class” perhaps except clergy, lawyers, and doctors, to whom there is ascribed some level of “a calling.” But even those called to those professions can be venal and vile, so let’s just say that if you are working for someone else, you are, indeed, in the working class.
"If voters are believing dumb things why?" You have to ask? Because Insane Clown blamed the Biden administration for the drastic rise in prices. And because Kamala couldn't or wouldn't put her damn pom poms down long enough to put the blame where it belongs on Insane Clown's clownish pandemic response. Even Biden during his disastrous debate that was one coherent thing he said but it got lost amidst all the stumbling and mumbling and fumbling. Democrats will keep on losing because they have a will to lose.
What about this recently passed bill, HR 9495, which could strip tax-exempt status from nonprofits that support “terrorism”? Has it occurred to anyone that a political party is, by definition, a nonprofit? And that the dictator-on-day-one could decide that the Democratic Party is, in fact, a terrorist-supporting organization? And that the outrage over this decision could lead to nationwide protests that would prove the dictator right and legitimize him to declare a state of emergency, that would have to be combated with the the help of the military?
(Some thoughts during a walk in the woods.)
I was glad to see Biden pardon his son. Of course, the republicans will lose their minds, making up all kinds of reasons why he shouldn't have. But hearing some of the democrats' responses were unbelievable, especially one saying "he put family over country and he should not have done that." Really?? YOU wouldn't put family over country? Or over anything?? BS
I think President Biden needs to preemptively pardon all the people Trump is going to go after. They have done nothing wrong and have worked hard to make our government better, and they need to be protected from soulless criminals.
Jonathan, I didn't know you were a Morning Sedition producer! Respect!
The New Republic article on climate populism and naming Big Oil as the common villain is an excellent read, plus great quotations from Pat Ryan, excerpt below. Get it in front of Ben Wikler’s eyes!
https://newrepublic.com/article/188679/democrats-climate-populism-win-elections
After summarizing his populist strategy for winning an easy reelection in one of the toughest districts in the country, Congressman Pat Ryan provided a great example of how climate can fit into and strengthen a populist approach. Ryan explained the importance of naming “the billionaires and big corporations making record-breaking profits while the rest of us struggle.” He listed various ways he communicated this message: calling on a utility CEO to resign, going after Wall Street speculators, taking on Big Pharma. And then he wrote, “And yeah, I rallied with AOC for clean water and climate action.… If you want to say I’m a progressive for saying polluters should pay to clean up their mess, feel free. I don’t give a sh*t about labels. I care about delivering for my constituents and my community.”
Yeah make Musk clean up his environmental messes.
Until Democrats are campaigning on radically unraveling the inequitable system they helped build, a ton of voters won’t see any reason to support Democrats.
This is the way.
Thanks for the stickers-done!
After repub administrations shatter the economy, Dems swing in to fix it. Then stupid racist rurals crave CHANGE and bring in repubs again to destroy things. Lather rinse repeat. As long as people have to focus and spend on damage control, progress is retarded. What is your suggestion for how to progress against inequality? Now we have the spectre of climate change overlaying our more simple struggles. We need ideas, doable solutions immediately.
How about we stop moving to the center to appease republicans that will never, ever see any benefit in raising taxes and funding things that actually help people? How about dems start screaming about getting money out of politics and moving to a publicly funded election system? How about dems start embracing policies that the majority of people support like gun control, raising the minimum wage or god forbid, a universal healthcare system? Can we try any of those solutions?
Let's get idiot voters to show up and vote properly so we can get the supermajorities NEEDED TO DO THESE THINGS. Unless we are there, this is all smoke. Bills can be lovingly written and supported and reported on, and are shot down like pigeons when the Gross Old Pervs care to, as long as the power balance is theirs. Embracing and screaming is happening and has been happening. And we can embrace and scream in one hand and $hit in the other and see which one fills up first.
Calling people "idiot voters" or Bernie Bros or horseshoe dems or even, sneeringly "progressives" is not likely to win hearts and minds. Embracing or screaming is not at all happening. Did you hear Kamala talk about any of those ideas?
Kamala stood for nothing and fought for nothing. Insane Clown had his way with her and she just stood there waving her pom poms like a fucking Barbie Doll.
Ok so yes on screaming to win hearts and minds? Or no? Where are you? Wait, I don't think I care. I'm kinda busy for the word salad autopsy stuff
Also, turnip voters are idiots, cannot even bother to save themselves. Stupid racists.
Anyone who thought Joe wouldn’t pardon Hunter is smoking better stuff than I’ve ever been able to get my hands on. And I’ve got access to some pretty excellent stuff.
Seriously, the hyperventilating and hand wringing by the Never Trump crowd (c.f. The Bulwark's Morning Shots today) is really over the top.
Christ on a crouton, what a bunch of clowns
I think I actually consumed a total of 3 paragraphs of that newsletter today. Friend of the Bulwark, Tom Nichols, has been all over Bluesky this morning defending his position on the pardon. He’s gone so far as to quote skeet responses and argue with people that way. Seriously. These people need to shut the fuck up. I am so tired of these people saying that Donald will just have an excuse to do XYZ. The man does not need a fucking excuse. He’s told us all exactly how terrible he’s going to be and well, I am sorry that they don’t believe it. If Joe hadn’t pardoned Hunter, he would spend the next 4 years fighting with the DOJ about some bullshit garbage or another.
The Never Trump contingent are all sniffing their own farts.
Norms this, and decorum that, and enabling the Melon colored douchebag this.
That is total twaddle.
Something is broken, so this is the rest of the comment:
I just read the Triad, and I really want to nuke all of New Jersey at the moment because it was just awful. And lo- they have recorded a special "Secret" to dish on this, guess I will not listen to that either. To hear Longwell pontificate about how this is enabling the mango tinged Mussolini will make me go postal.
It’s just a whole bunch of people screeching about things that no longer matter to anyone but them. The whole “the Trumpers are laughing” story is a case in point. The rules changed and the Democrats haven’t picked up the new book yet. Joe pardoning his kid was the least he could do.
They (TB) are making me regret opening my wallet again to subscribe.
And reading the description and comments from their "emergency" secret pod, yeah, I am going to take a pass on that one.
Put it in the air!! 👍🏽👍🏽😸