Posts Made By: Rod Kaufman

Originally Posted by Greg Shaffer

LOL....

Figures, since you believe any action directed at Trump is a conspiracy to prevent him from being reelected.  

Originally Posted by James Brown

True enough, I wish I did know more. 

Smith may not have traditional D v. R political bias for all I know, but he is indisputably a legendarily aggressive prosecutor who is willing to go after big game and willing to make the arguments that more conservative prosecutors would avoid.   This is ultimately why he has overturned in the McDonnell case.  He no doubt considers it his duty to aggressively prosecute where probable cause exists, and I agree with him.

Garland knows Smith's resume.  He hired Smith because of his aggressiveness and talent, not because he is a partisan hack.   So I may have unintentionally misled you.  In my opinion, Garland would be less than human if he was totally unaffected by the Rs denying him a seat on the the Supreme Court.  I believe and hope that Garland is an honorable man.   That does not mean that his past treatment has absolutely no affect on his decision making process.  Politics transcends mere D v. R partisanship.

Do you think that prosecution of Trump was mandatory?  I do not.  The government could have decided to prosecute, or to just let Trump's malfeasance slide, even after they raided Mara Lago.   I think that the decision to prosecute is in part political under a broad definition of political, for the reasons I mentioned above and to Brian.  Jim

A couple of points:
Decisions argued by attorneys get overturned by SCOTUS as a matter of course. That doesn't mean the attorneys were politically motivated by their prosecutions. Nor does it necessarily mean SCOTUS looked at and decided the issue based upon the merits of the case but rather, the constitutionality of the application of the law in those cases. 
Trump's own actions, in the documents case and in the elections fraud case have resulted in his prosecutions, period/full stop. In the former, all he needed to do is turn over the government documents as he said he would and he had more than ample time to do so and if he did, we wouldn't even be discussing this now. In the latter, the initiation of the fake electors scheme, the inane actions to decertify the popular votes in contested states and send it back for recertification by a receptive political party in the state legislatures combined with pressuring his vice president and various elected secretaries of states to do essentially the same thing are his own doings.

Frank Zappa saw it coming:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ZKFC3wEAA0

Originally Posted by James Brown

I'd hope that Trump would not be the nominee if he is convicted, but I am not confident.   All I was saying in my earlier post is that we might have expected Trump's polling to fall and the other R candidates polling to rise as these indictments have been announced.   But no movement in the polling has occurred.

Since no movement in Trump's polling, or his rival's polling, has occured after the indictments then:  (A) The people being polled don't know about the indictments (seems unlikely), or (B) The people being polled don't support Trump any less after indictments, or (C) the polling sucks.   Jim

It's clear from the interviews of Republicans on MSM that it's "B".

Originally Posted by James Lacey

To make matters worse for the GOP, if Trump is not the nominee, then his base will mostly stay home during the election. It boggles the mind to think that Traitor Trump still has that much support, but here we are.

"It boggles the mind to think that Traitor Trump still has that much support, but here we are."

My feelings exactly. In listening to the comments of Republicans, primarily older ones interviewed on MSM, "it's all political"! Or, "they just don't want Trump to run again."

Nevermind the countless hours of evidence reviewed by grand juries, or even a thought that their proceedings actually occurred. 
These people seem to be among the most flippant of individuals that America can ever offer up...

"The huge voter turnout against a special ballot measure in Ohio that would have made it tougher to protect abortion rights is setting off alarm bells among Republican strategists"
“We saw mobilization of voters that hadn’t even voted in 2022."
https://thehill.com/homenews/4146352-gop-alarms-go-off-after-ohio-abortion-vote/

The Dobbs Decision from the conservative "minds" of SCOTUS: the gift that keeps on giving...

Originally Posted by James Brown

Careful Jim - it is pretty clear that pro publica is targeting Thomas because he is conservative.   Not a peep about liberals like Kagen and Sotomayor, and of course RBG who all accepted extensive travel and so on.   David has a good point, the appearance of impropriety is wrong for a judge, but Thomas is not alone in accepting these sort of gifts.  You would not know that though, based upon the links Rod favors.  Jim

Whatever the other judges may have accepted is a mere pittance of that bestowed and enthusiastically received by Thomas. For the most part, they also reported them, unlike Thomas.
I guess you missed this part in the OP:
"Jeremy Fogel, a former judge who for years reviewed lower court judges’ financial disclosures, told ProPublica the amount of undisclosed gifts Thomas received is unlike anything he’s ever seen."
“In my career I don’t remember ever seeing this degree of largesse given to anybody,” said Fogel. “I think it’s unprecedented.”
 
I don't recall other SCOTUS justice saying this, either:

"The job is not worth doing for what they pay," Thomas said during a speech in 2001.

Well, he found a way around that one, now didn't he?

"The lifestyle Justice Clarence Thomas has enjoyed over the last three decades bankrolled by gifts and hospitality from his wealthy friends is more extensive than previously known, according to a new ProPublica report, and has included numerous flights on private planes, skybox tickets to sporting events, stays at luxury resorts, and a standing invitation to play at a high-end private golf club in Florida."
"...a regular stream of extravagant excursions and events since he became a Supreme Court justice. These costly trips and travel perks often went unreported on the justice’s financial disclosure forms, ProPublica said in its investigation."

"Jeremy Fogel, a former judge who for years reviewed lower court judges’ financial disclosures, told ProPublica the amount of undisclosed gifts Thomas received is unlike anything he’s ever seen."
“In my career I don’t remember ever seeing this degree of largesse given to anybody,” said Fogel. “I think it’s unprecedented.”

 "Though the total value of the recently revealed gifts is unclear, ProPublica estimated that they are likely in the millions of dollars."


https://www.cnn.com/2023/08/10/politics/clarence-thomas-gifts-hospitality-propublica-report/index.html

Of course, the Republicans in congress blocked ethics reform for SCOTUS. Afterall, it's how they do business...

Didn't Margie and Boebert go after each other over who filed impeachment nonsense first? Yup, they did! Now, we got another Trump puppet doing the same. What a crock!  Another useless Republican stunt. Maybe James Comer will bring up impeachment articles too and base them on the meeting with Devon Archer. You know, the meeting Comer lied about attending. I'm sure Comer will make a great witness to it...

Well, what about Lauren Boebert articles of impeachment?:
Particularly, this: "President Biden has intentionally facilitated a complete and total invasion at the southern border."


Impeaching Joseph R. Biden, Jr., President of the United States, for high crimes and misdemeanors.

Resolved, That Joseph Robinette Biden, Jr., is impeached for high crimes and misdemeanors and that the following articles of impeachment be exhibited to the United States Senate:

Articles of impeachment exhibited by the House of Representatives of the United States of America in the name of itself and of the people of the United States of America, against Joseph R. Biden, Jr., President of the United States, in maintenance and support of its impeachment against him for high crimes and misdemeanors.

ARTICLE I: ABUSE OF POWER
The Constitution provides that the House of Representatives “shall have the sole Power of Impeachment” and that the President of the United States “shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors”. In his conduct as President of the United States—and in violation of his constitutional oath faithfully to execute the office of the President of the United States and, to the best of his ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States, and in violation of his constitutional duty to take care that the laws be faithfully executed—Joseph R. Biden, Jr., has abused the powers of the office of the President of the United States, in that:

Using the powers of his high office, President Biden has knowingly presided over an executive branch that has continuously, overtly, and consistently violated Federal immigration law by pursuing an aggressive, open-borders agenda by purposefully and knowingly releasing more than 2,000,000 illegal aliens into the interior of the United States without the intention or ability to ensure that they appear in immigration court to face asylum or deportation proceedings.

President Biden has intentionally facilitated a complete and total invasion at the southern border. President Biden ended the Migrant Protection Protocols to require aliens seeking asylum to remain in Mexico while being processed by the Department of Homeland Security. President Biden has closed Department of Homeland Security detention facilities and refused to cooperate with State and local law enforcement officials in securing the border. He has allowed illegal aliens to enter the United States as asylum seekers despite knowing they did not qualify for asylum. President Biden has pursued this open-border agenda purposefully and willfully, circumventing every safeguard, check, and balance required by law, resulting in mass illegal immigration into the United States, to the detriment of the American people.

President Biden, with such conduct, has demonstrated a failure to uphold Federal immigration law, violating his oath to the Constitution if allowed to remain in office, and has acted in a manner grossly incompatible with the rule of law and to the manifest injury of the people of the United States.

Wherefore, President Biden, by such conduct, warrants impeachment and trial, removal from office, and disqualification to hold and enjoy any office of honor, trust, or profit under the United States.

ARTICLE II: DERELICTION OF DUTY
The Constitution provides that the House of Representatives “shall have the sole Power of Impeachment” and that the President of the United States “shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors”. In his conduct as President of the United States—and in violation of his constitutional oath faithfully to execute the office of the President of the United States and, to the best of his ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States, and in violation of his constitutional duty to take care that the laws be faithfully executed—Joseph R. Biden, Jr., has neglected the constitutional duty of the office of the President of the United States, in that:

Neglecting the powers of his high office, President Biden has abandoned his duties to ensure that the laws are faithfully executed and upheld, by presiding over an executive branch that has continually, overtly, and consistently refused to enforce the Nation’s immigration laws and secure the southern border. President Biden has endangered the security of the United States and the health and safety of the American people. President Biden has caused a national security crisis and is endangering the lives of the American people.

President Biden has presided over the largest influx of illegal immigrants in American history, and as evidence of his dereliction, the deportation cases pursued by his administration are at historic lows. President Biden’s negligence of duty has resulted in the surrender of operational control of the border to the complete and total control of foreign, criminal cartels—putting the lives of American citizens in jeopardy. On President Biden’s watch, illegal aliens have been processed and released into the interior of the country under a mass system of parole, contrary to the clear terms of Federal immigration law. Utilizing the “CBP ONE” program, the executive branch will release nearly 40,000 illegal aliens per month into the United States. He has failed to uphold the mandatory detention and deportation provisions of immigration laws, resulting in the mass entry of inadmissible aliens and the continued presence of deportable aliens. Through this complete and total dereliction of duty and extreme absence in oversight of his own administration’s policies, President Biden has allowed more than 1,500,000 illegal immigrants to invade the southern border. On Joe Biden’s watch, illicit fentanyl has killed more than 100,000 American citizens. In fiscal year 2023, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol seized more than 9,000 pounds of fentanyl at the southern border.

In his failure to uphold the rule of law, President Biden has demonstrated that he will neglect his duty to execute the office to which he has been entrusted, violating his oath to the Constitution if allowed to remain in office, and has acted in a manner grossly incompatible with his constitutional duty to take care that the laws of the United States be faithfully executed.

Wherefore, President Biden, by such conduct, warrants impeachment and trial, removal from office, and disqualification to hold and enjoy any office of honor, trust, or profit under the United States.