These are the types of things that all these politicians do. These rules are for the “common” man and they don’t apply to “us”. There most likely was a handshake between these two parties over the type of illegalities they could both do where there would be a blind eye when it came to enforcement. The Dems broke that deal when going after Trump. Tish’s whole case may in fact be illegal if it was ever challenged against the constitution which hasn’t happened yet as this consumer law is just strange on it’s basis to begin with. Schiff should be in prison already for the death of that gay porn actor that involved him and a bunch of Meth. If we keep electing criminals they are going to run riot taking advantage of their positions every time ie; Gold Bar Bob. Who finally is where he belongs and should have been years ago. Cleaning up congress and those who make the rules for us needs to happen and if it’s both sides let’s make it so. This govt no longer works for us and anything that changes that is a positive no matter how slow it takes.
Trump's biggest sin? Crime if you will. He isn't "one of them". That'd abide a Romney or a McCain but a total outsider? NEVER. He wasn't infested and invested in Beltway nonsense.
Exactly, James Prusinowski! I've been saying the same thing for a decade.
Early on I was perplexed at the hysterical reaction to Trump immediately, before he had a chance to do anything that might be unpopular with anyone. But I soon realized that this reaction on the part of the "Professional Political Class" and the "Professional Media Elites" was his status as an outsider.
Rather than slogging his way through school board and local elections, mayorships, representative, senator, governor, his entry level job in politics was as Leader of the Free World! "This will not stand! If we let every mechanic, school teacher, firefighter, and nurse come here for two years or six years to serve their country, then return to their regular professions, just as the Founders intended... why, then, what will become of us? People who have never held an honest private sector job, never had to make a deadline or a payroll?!"
Term Limits. Term limits, term limits, term limits. And real ones. Not three six-year terms and nine two-year terms. Go home! Flush the swamp!
A nice thought though it easily could turn to “be careful what you wish for”. Imagine the newbies knowing they have two or three terms to bank those deep state, corporate lobbying dollars. And when they take office, guess who’s going to break them in to “how things work around here.”
BAD IDEA. When I was in CA we voted in term limits. The Democrats used them to secure permanent control of the entire state. They are superior in winning elections with public funds via NGO's etc.
Trump is a felon- he stole docs and then lied on the affidavit claiming all the docs had been returned and his people destroy video evidence,
He could have chosen to surrender the docs and fight in court with the DOJ and archives over his right to get them back. Instead he deliberately chose the path of perjury and obstruction of justice.
A savvy prosecutor interested in a quick win that sends a message not only about docs but cooperating honestly with the FBI would simply have tried Trump for obstruction and perjury in 2023.
The docs charges were much more serious, but also hard to try in court given delays over national security considerations and the inability to expose specific secret docs in a courtroom.
The choice was between a quick win and jail time (Trump would have been in jail during the 2024 campaign) or a long drawn out battle that could take years.
Biden’s handlers did not want Trump in jail. They wanted him to be the candidate, but with multiple legal charges hanging over his head. They thought this would propel the Dem base to turn out while demotivating the GOP base. Didn’t turn out the way they planned! 😂
The Dems lawfare strategy that didn’t put Trump in jail for perjury and obstruction was a choice. Trump was not innocent- he is a crook who deserved jail time.
The stolen documents charge is a bullshit charge. If enforced, Biden would be in prison today, along with just about everyone with access to classified documents in the Federal government. It was an excuse to incriminate Trump with a bogus offense. Remember that Capone was jailed for tax evasion. As an aside, if I wanted to send you to jail, I would simply have to review your tax filings, and I guarantee that I would find multiple instances of tax fraud.
He had his lawyer sign an affidavit under penalty of perjury that all docs had been returned when Trump knew they had not, Meanwhile, Trump hid several boxes of docs and instructed his employee to destroy the video evidence.
These are open and shut cases of perjury and obstruction of justice,
Perhaps you should familiarize yourself with the facts of the case? Facts aren’t “talking points”.
My understanding was that Biden took those documents while he was VICE President, not President, and could probably be prosecuted if he weren't incomptent to stand trial.
Bunk. A ex-president cannot "steal" docs that he had an arguable right to having.
The so-called documents case was the flimsiest of all the lawfare cases against Trump--obviously a political hit job. And an armed raid of an ex-president's home by men with machine guns to retrieve the so-called stolen docs? Disgraceful.
Biden was the one who "stole" classified docs and held them for decades, with absolutely no right to do so. But he got off because he "cooperated" with authorities. Also bunk.
Perjury and obstruction of justice are felonies. Trump chose to commit felonies rather than adjucate his rights to the docs in court. He’s a crook, should have been in jail during the 2024 campaign, and the only reason he wasn’t is because the Dems wanted Trump to be the candidate (with legal clouds over his head). It sure didn’t turn out how they planned!
I’ve been subject to premises searches and email discovery twice by the DOJ (done in cooperation with my firm’s lawyers- as the first approach to Trump regarding the stolen docs was done- they’ll let your lawyers do the search of you are cooperating)
However, I had to sign an affidavit to the DOJ (twice) under penalty of perjury that the docs we turned over were full and complete.
If I had deliberately lied, hid docs and then destroyed video evidence showing the docs being hidden - yeah 1) I would expect to go to jail and 2) I would expect a raid where the FBI searches for docs rather than our lawyers being allowed to respond to a search warrant.
Duh.
It’s OK to back a crook. Biden and Hillary were crooks, too.
I couldn’t debase myself by voting for any of the above (and I never have). Everyone has their own standards to uphold (or trod on).
They were working on negotiations with the archives. Then it got moved up to 11. It was politically motivated from the start - everyone knows it, and it helped get Trump elected, with the expectation that Trump would expect payback.
Further conjecture suggests what they were looking for was any documents related to the conspiracy behind RussiaGate, in order to cover their tracks.
The records case got thrown out of court because Biden's DOJ screwed up massively. No one finds any support in looking up pleadings and legal maneuverings, which often sound like one thing but are done for completely different reasons.
By the way - Obama has a bunch of documents, but maintains he is working with the archivists - just as Trump was doing at the time of the raid,
As a thought Jim: Yes--another timely RACKET report. But why is our national conversation spotlighting homes and mortgages in the hands of the rich and connected when the spotlight should be on why the young American's who comprise our Republic's future are cut out of the home and mortgage market altogether? Thugland finance (Blackrock et al.) destroyed the housing market-- gutted our national economy-- then took free money from the treasury- scooped up the decimated remains of American residential housing--converted it to rentals and continue to jack prices through the proverbial "roof". The criminal theft of every hard earned dime--while the no living wage paid-- no future and family inhabitants of a drug addled psyoped AI electronic zombieland stripped of history--culture and civilization--stare dead eyed into the hypnotic viperous reality of the D.C./Brussels/CCP Davos serpent. It represents-and has for a while now-- a purely moral evil. Interestingly no one speaks--can speak without risk of destruction--of the classified/national security budgets that can't pass an audit and the simply disappeared D.C.treasury trillions.
Earlier this year--on a cold spring day--I witnessed a young man in his early twenties laying out cardboard on a sidewalk and arranging dirty blankets and a sleeping bag--obviously trying to exploit the sunlight for warmth.--(This is a mountain town and it freezes at night). He---and now often a she--are our children. D.C. grifters can have two and three homes --devil may care rules be damned--but young American men and women--the only future our Republic has- can't even have hopes and dreams.
Revenge? Indeed someone will pay.-- But it won't be Donald Trump or the gaggle of Soros/DNC district attorneys that helped hold/are holding the American Republic in thrall to the six decade lie dismantling the American future. Speculation and opinion abounds and the commentariat seethes--but a real winter is coming. No sunlight allowed.
Nope- the archives and DOJ asked for all the docs back.
Several choices at that point- comply and fight your case in court, refuse and fight your case in court (knowing they will be sending a team in with search warrants to seize them) or lie and cover up - ie commit felonies.
Martha Stewart and hundreds of others have learned that while the original charges you face could well be BS, you will go to jail for lying and obstructing justice.
Trump chose to commit felonies, no matter what you think of the merits of the original charges or the reasons behind them.
You still don't get it. We now know beyond a shadow of a doubt that the legal actions taken against Trump--starting with the Russiagate Hoax--were all part of a prosecutorial vendetta to take him down. It is a foundational principle of our legal system that, in order to be just, the law must be applied in an even handed and impartial manner. As the judge and jury in these cases, I deem that this did not happen, and accordingly, all charges against Trump must be thrown out on the grounds of prosecutorial misconduct. Why do you find this so hard to understand?
What you don't know about me is that I have been a Trump critic and Trump lampooner extending back to the Art of the Deal days of the late 80s. But the more the System tried to railroad him, the more sympathetic I have became. You really are missing the point here.
Spare me the pious "I couldn't debase myself" for voting for Trump, et al. If you truly had standards, you would acknowledge the questionable legitimacy of the entire process.
Think about what you’re saying. Your case was in no way analogous to the former and current President’s case. You were not working with NARA when the WH sent the FBI to raid because you were not a POTUS, who declassifies documents lawfully. The case was dismissed due to the prosecution having no legal appointment, as held by SCOTUS. You continue to opine that POTUS should be in jail, yet no court has rendered that verdict, though they tried.
Disagree that that "Biden's handlers did not want Trump in jail."
All the specious charges, the huge fines, and the specter of a lengthy sentence hung over Trump's head for months -- and may still be reinstated when he leaves office. They most definitely did want him in jail --- for the rest of his life.
Your boy Biden did it before he was president! He was a shit ass senator and VP. He also sold the US out to China allowed a spy balloon to traverse the US over our most sensitive military sites. Get out of your echo chamber.
You list a number of (mostly) facts. And then ignore facts that go against your partisan slant.
Yup- you are in an echo chamber.
I am happy to acknowledge both Biden and Trump as crooks, and Trump as the better prez (so far). I would never vote for either, of course. I don’t know why you and others feel so insecure and defensive about slavishly backing a crook as “your boy”. No reason to be ashamed- partisanship outweighs morality for most people.
Yes Buttrod he’s upsetting the Democrats and Republicans Grift against the People, the taxpayers, their Constituents and our Constitution all of which they are supposed to be Protecting and Representing!
Neither was obama who I do not recall seeing him on the dems news or much about him there he is the Prez. But he was a Dem, so all forgiven or planned?
When I was a kid, many decades ago, I remember my father saying something very much like "why do politicians spend millions to win a job that pays them so little?" Makes me think that even so long ago, even my dad who did not pay a lot of attention to politics, understood the simple truth of corruption in politics. Yet it seems that this simple obvious truth escapes so many. Certainly the politicians think they they can continue the ruse, keeping it all a well kept secret. Thank god for journalists like Matt.
«There most likely was a handshake between these two parties over the type of illegalities they could both do where there would be a blind eye when it came to enforcement. The Dems broke that deal when going after Trump.»
My guess is that the origin point was instead Trump being a "birther". After that break of the "don't look" convention I guess the Ds decided to punish him.
Blissex, I agree there is an handshake between both parties regarding illegalities, but it's because they're both the same party. It's all a show while they funnel taxpayer money back to themselves in a circular economy. Both parties love war, favor large corporations over small businesses, and support free speech when it suits them. Doesn't seem like there's much difference to me.
The lawsuits against Trump seemed like the Truman show. It's all bread and circuses. I was worried about Biden raising taxes. I don't worry about these things anymore since it's the same party. Trump was going to stop the wars; except now he loves them. Almost as much as he loves surveillance. The uniparty wins in the end. The differences are small but the talk is big. AOC votes for every war - what does that tell you?
«there is an handshake between both parties regarding illegalities»
Indeed but in the specific case of Trump both parties are involved in the same transdactions, not just in the same type illegalities. If the Ds could "get Trump" on bribery they would, even if they themselves did the same, after all one-side anti-corruption campaigns are a standard tools of factional fighting; but they cannot be one-sided in the Trump case.
«but it's because they're both the same party.»
I have two nice quotes about that:
Julius Nyerere: “The United States is also a one-party state but, with typical American extravagance, they have two of them.”
Gore-Vidal: “There is only one party in the United States, the Property Party [...] and it has two right wings: Republican and Democrat. Republicans are a bit stupider, more rigid, more doctrinaire in their laissez-faire capitalism than the Democrats, who are cuter, prettier, a bit more corrupt — until recently [...] and more willing than the Republicans to make small adjustments when the poor, the black, the anti-imperialists get out of hand. But, essentially, there is no difference between the two parties.”
«It's all a show while they funnel taxpayer money back to themselves in a circular economy.»
That is somewhat demagogic as for the politicians in the USA self-dealing is only a nice side-effect: their main job is to represent the interests of the "sponsors":
Since their "sponsors" have largely similar interests this is the result indeed:
«Both parties love war, favor large corporations over small businesses, and support free speech when it suits them.»
But even if I agree with that I do not agree with this:
«Doesn't seem like there's much difference to me. The lawsuits against Trump seemed like the Truman show. It's all bread and circuses.»
The big deal is that even if on many thing the interests of the "sponsors" are aligned there are factions with rather different interests in some important areas.
So Trump belongs to the Bayh/Perot/Buchanan line and in particular he is a consolidationist nationalist paleo-con instead of a expansionist globalist centrist. Their overall argument is that the USA empire is overstretched and has a weak core country so to make it last longer there has be a phase of consolidation of the empire and strengthening of the core country.
For the "sponsors" (mostly finance, tech, real estate) whose interests are for more expansion and globalism of the USA empire that means making a lot less money and they do not care about making the USA empire last longer.
That is a really big difference between the "MAGA" faction and the "centrist" faction of the "sponsors" and it involves lots and lots of money so all niceties of "centrist" vs. "centrist" (e.g. Obama vs. Romney) contests are out, and anything goes.
You're saying Schiff should be in jail for taking campaign money from Ed Buck, the donor who supplied meth to gay prostitutes, and was convicted for the death of one of them? I'd like to see Schiff in jail for other things, but how is he criminally involved in this case? Perhaps there's something I haven't heard.
These assholes all pass laws and enact regulations that the rest of us have to spend enormous amounts of time and money to follow. Or else. But then they whine and complain when they're called to account. Cry me a river. If anyone should be held to the strictest account it's them.
And regarding the appellate court's throwing out the absurd judgment against Trump - a few things. One, the Appellate Division, First Department, which issued the ruling covers the Bronx and Manhattan and is a liberal court with mostly Democrat justices. And they found both Constitutional and legal errors in the decision by the partisan fool, Arthur Engoron, who issued the verdict. Two, Leticia James, the obese moron, who sought the judgment, is the chief legal officer of New York. What does it say about her, and her voters, that even a very liberal court, found that she sought a judgment that clearly violated Constitutional standards? Maybe that New York under Democrat rule, has devolved into a clownish idiocracy? At best.
So you jump on the "fat" remark in order to avoid the much more pertinent "stupid" remark, or more accurately, he called her a moron. Her fatness did not get her into trouble. Her stupidity caused her to greedily overreach her authority because of partisanship and personal animosity, definitely the opposite of the blindfolded lady justice. As an aside, maybe her fatness caused her to feel immune from criticism/prosecution due the current climate that makes fat shaming out of favor. All of this completely disqualified her from being in the position of Attorney General since she obviously thinks she is above the law and can target people with her power. Her arrogance and general finger-wagging were atrocious. She is a discredit to her race and gender. 🤮
Wrong! Her fatness is keenly obvious so why not remark upon it. As it happens so is her stupidity and arrogance. She is not a nice person and made her own self a perfect target on all grounds. People in glass houses should not throw stones in their own self interest. It's not like being fat is comparable to being black. She could lose weight if she chose to. She cannot change her color. I don't know if she qualifies as obese, and she does keep herself well, not slovenly, so there is that. It's not that I don't like fat people. I don't like HER. She put herself out there to do injustice so all's fair.
"Approximate Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale IV full-scale IQ score distributions for US racial and ethnic groups. The data are based on samples matched to the US Census for education and region of the country within racial/ethnic group.
Wow! No wonder Africa is such a nightmare and can't govern itself! Black Americans should be grateful to have been brought to this country even as slaves. It does seem to me that this proves IQ is less related to race than it is to environment. Living in a primitive environment is bad for one's intelligence. Which shows how abominable our tolerance of ghettos and ghetto schools is. THAT is what this country should be ashamed of and especially that we allow it to persist!
"It does seem to me that this proves IQ is less related to race than it is to environment."
Not at all.
No matter where they go, blacks are less intelligent than all other races.
American blacks have had 300 years to mix with other races, thus increasing their average IQ--by nature, nothing to do with environment.
There are numerous studies that confirm this. Most of them examine black kids adopted by and raised by white parents. There appears to be an early boost to IQ, but that fades away, the blacks revert to their genetic mean as adults.
Also, see South Africa's IQ--highest in all of Africa. Same environment--Africa--but more white people, raising the average IQ.
Yeah, it's not environment. The sooner we accept reality, the sooner we can implement solutions to our demographic problem.
I remember when this first went down a number of NY businesses expressed concern, realizing a motivated prosecutor could do it to any of them. Seeking to reassure them, Gov. Hochul basically admitted that the prosecution was following special rules meant for Trump only.
A clownish idiocracy at its best is recklessly heading further into insanity by trying to elect a Pathetic Incompetent Socialist Moron as Mayor of NYC.
A Clownish Idiocracy indeed. The Former, Big Apple 🍎! The City that Never Thinks!
My divorced mother of 5 children took a lower/middle class state job in the 70's and needed afterschool care some days when the 2 oldest moved out, so she hired a lady. My mother paid her as an employee and paid the taxes and social security. How many politicians, judges, etc. have been exposed as paying for similar work under the table? Time to enforce the laws on everyone or get rid of those laws. The double standards are destroying our country.
I have a profound respect for the law when it was written and as it was written. Mostly that goes back 250 years with the founders and the immediate following generation. Now I understand there was a sedition act I believe in Adam's term that was quite severe and was almost immediately repealed (and Wilson did some funky sedition stuff) but largely I take on faith that those early laws, the foundation of our country were honorable. Laws in the last 50-75 years I can't vouch for and wouldn't even consider. There has been so much corruption, you-scratch-my-back-I'll-scratch-yours crap in the current and recent decades of lost morality that those laws are all suspect. But our foundational laws I believe were good and demand or respect. They have lasted 250 years! I believe that respect for the law is the ground on which our country stands. Disrespect for the law is anarchy. To badmouth "the law" is to breed discontent, and who wants to do that but anarchists and tyrants? To amend the law within the system is a different matter. And even regarding recent laws respect for our system, i.e., how you go about eradicating a consensus "bad" law is crucial. I'm afraid modern Americans don't have the basic respect for our system of law that is necessary for a strong citizenry. I'm not drunk or being naive, but the USA was founded on the rule of law so until proven otherwise the law is sacrosanct. Am I clear now? (I did not reply to your previous reply because of your nonsense, a$$hole remark about hurting the law's feelings.) You have to be from a different generation than mine which feels like what came before is just as questionable as what is now. That is not true. The people from the early generations of this country were God-fearing people who took their duty to the country seriously whether you agree with them or not. That depth of loyalty rarely exists nowadays.
Oh, my gosh! You are what I thought you are - hopeless and clueless. Are you an American? I think not. More likely some BS artist/jihadi, indoctrinated by a useless liberal university. Good luck in the real world.
Also, I considered your first remark to be cynical, the exact opposite of what the founders intended. A "ruling class" was the exact opposite of what they were trying to build into our country in the Constitution and even "four score and seven years" later Lincoln was still asserting the primacy of "the people", so get off this kick that the laws are not written to protect the people. That is their purpose until the last century anyway. So either be more specific or take it up with your congressman, senator and president. Don't rabble-rouse like Antifa. The only fascists are on the far left!
«My mother paid her as an employee and paid the taxes and social security. How many politicians, judges, etc. have been exposed as paying for similar work under the table?»
It depends on the facts and circumstances. If a domestic worker (maid, nanny etc) comes to your home when you say and does what you ask them to do, the DOL would probably consider them an employee.
They don’t come when they want. If I want a plumber tomorrow and the guy says no, I fire him and get a new one.
And most cleaners now bring their own supplies and materials for exactly this reason. The homeowner asks them what day they would like to come each week (their choice) and they bring their own stuff.
My point is that people know what the law is and structure ways around it (not iron clad, but serviceable 95 pct of the time). That people didn’t bother doing this as much in the past was simply because it wasn’t prosecuted.
Of course this is easier to do with a cleaner or landscaper or handyman than say, a nanny working five days a week only for you. In the latter case, better to pay the taxes or hire an agency for cover.
They say Trump is on a “retribution tour”, going after his enemies. Hell, yes, it is! And that’s one of the things we voted for. Sadly, whatever he does to them won’t rise to the level of what they did to him. But, hey, it’s satisfying to watch them squirm and sweat.
Yep…I choose not to say “ retribution “ or “ revenge.” These people have committed crimes…and now cry that they are being “targeted.” I have also taken a vow to no longer respond to or waste my time conversing with a Trump “haters” as their charges are all fabrications of legacy media and not fact based. It’s very liberating…so speaking of weaponizing justice…. the Dems were quite busy…
I honestly wish I could rise about my lowest proclivities and take the high road on this. I really do...but that would be a lie. I'm with you. The whole disgraceful affair reminds me of an old Grateful dead tune that I liked...but I could never discern any personal meaning or associations. Problem solved.
Yep it’s exactly that. I really wondered when all this began how dumb should one be to shit where one eats. They all have their snout on n the trough, republicans or democrats, and I assumed calling each other out would fly in the face of self preservation.
Are they shitting where they eat? Or....are they eating where they shit? Hmmm...lemmee think. I suppose we could say that the democrats shat where they had eaten, and now the republicans are eating where they shit. What the world needs now is another Shakespeare. But then again....who the hell needs Shakespeare when we have Taibbi?!? Meanwhile, although I cannot find within me the slightest sympathy for the targets of this current round of charges—I cannot help but to say, in every sense, what’s passed is prologue.
In all honesty when the democrats started doing the lawsuits that was when I changed my party registration. All of the worst episodes in history were premised on "whatever it takes".
As a high school dropout, I'm still amazed at how these "people of knowledge" continue to self document things that eventually come back to bite them in the ass.
This is my issue too! They must believe that, because they’re the special elevated people, it’s ok. They can never claim that they didn’t know. And after convicting Trump on individual counts for miscategorizing payments....all I can say is that the horse has left the barn. Good luck, suckers.
Knowledge alone does not produce wisdom. People can do exceedingly well in an academic discipline, but outside of that they can be utter dolts; pair academic excellence with outsized arrogance for being amongst "the smartest," and you get the kind of idiocy outlined in Salzman's latest piece.
I'm actually more in favor of tit for tat retribution ("reap the whirlwind") than I am for whacking folks for lying to banks. I was the same guy on the loans for investment properties, and my house. Same guy, same risk. The banks are among the U.S. institutions most deserving of our hatred (though the list of those institutions is long).
It's not the 'same risk' from the bank's perspective. As Eric alludes above, you can only live in one house at a time. When push comes to shove you will give up on your mortgages for those investments first, especially since there are legal protections available to retain the residence you claim as primary.
I've always been personally liable for all of them. Upon default on one, all would be attached. A premium for limited liability is obviously appropriate, but I would be surprised if members of congress stooping to lying on loan applications weren't cross-collateralized.
That is the American Way! Be a winner or be a sucker.
Alexis de Tocqueville "Democracy In America" (1834)
«Consequently, in the United States the law favors those classes that elsewhere are most interested in evading it. [...] In America there is no law against fraudulent bankruptcies, not because they are few, but because they are many. The dread of being prosecuted as a bankrupt is greater in the minds of the majority than the fear of being ruined by the bankruptcy of others; and a sort of guilty tolerance is extended by the public conscience to an offense which everyone condemns in his individual capacity.»
Newt Gingrich "A new look at environmental policy" NAEP News, 1995:
«For most Americans the speed limit is a benchmark of opportunity. This is not a light insight. If you have a society where almost every middle class person routinely fudges the law, that’s telling us something. We have laws that matter – murder, rape, and we have laws that don’t matter. The first thing that every good American says each morning is “What’s the angle?” “How can I get around it?” “What does my lawyer think?” “There must be a loophole!” [...] America is the most incentive-driven society on the planet.»
I get your point, but put insurance companies in the same bucket as banks: they enjoy institutional, bought-government monopolies and powers that inappropriately advantage them that grocery stores and car dealerships don't enjoy. We don't have to patronize particular car dealerships or grocery stores. We have to have bank accounts, credit histories, and insurance policies, all of which are gamed against citizens/ consumers. I therefore view banks, insurance companies and other like "institutions" as criminal enterprises, cartels, that we are forced to patronize, and so also view gaming them in response as more an honest citizen's act of defiance than stealing, since they are actively stealing from us. I'm suggesting that, since "voting the bums out" doesn't seem to work, selective enforcement might not always be a bad thing, and for now is probably preferable to the armed revolt prescribed in the Second Ammendment as the citizens' proper resort. Choose your poison: be taken advantage of inappropriately (sometimes lethally so), perform/ support small acts of defiance as a citizen, or grab a weapon and stand opposed. I'm in the middle, for now.
As always, the pendulum doth swing. Our ruling classes never seem to realize that they will be out of power someday. It amazes me how they never think that the other side can and will use the same tactics on them.
Because the other side in general has not used the opposition’s play book… now they are. I’m curious to how long the liberal media will continue to carry their very dirty water
Projection: Matthew 7:3 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4 How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.
There are more serious allegations against Letitia James: her mortgage application for a house in Virginia listed it as her principal residence, impossible since as NY Attorney General she is required to have her principal residence in NY. It also had her father on the mortgage application and identified him as her husband.
Those go beyond any good faith error and get into willful, outright fraud.
In Lisa Cook's defense, she's on the board of the Federal Reserve and cannot be expected to be familiar with complex topics like interest expense and mortgages.
What seems to be lost in all of this: whatever the motivation for the pursuit of the lawbreakers might be, they broke the law. I am confident there are a number of Republicans officials in the same or similar situations and should be equally pursued. Time to end the protection of the Political Class.
They want healthcare for Congress? Use the VA.
They want retirement pensions? Use 401(k)s.
No insider trading? Pass a law preventing the ownership of individual securities (save USTs) while in office. Same for staffers.
They want online privacy/protection of their personal information? Make everything “opt in” for ALL people.
They want to really enforce deportation of illegals? Hold the corporations employing those liable.
Thank you Eric for a clear explanation of the situation. Yes, I would agree with your synopsis assuming all the facts are accurate. All 3 are guilty.
Since you seem to have been able to decipher and share the facts rather quickly, I wonder how long these cases will be in the court system. That will be interesting.
These are the types of things that all these politicians do. These rules are for the “common” man and they don’t apply to “us”. There most likely was a handshake between these two parties over the type of illegalities they could both do where there would be a blind eye when it came to enforcement. The Dems broke that deal when going after Trump. Tish’s whole case may in fact be illegal if it was ever challenged against the constitution which hasn’t happened yet as this consumer law is just strange on it’s basis to begin with. Schiff should be in prison already for the death of that gay porn actor that involved him and a bunch of Meth. If we keep electing criminals they are going to run riot taking advantage of their positions every time ie; Gold Bar Bob. Who finally is where he belongs and should have been years ago. Cleaning up congress and those who make the rules for us needs to happen and if it’s both sides let’s make it so. This govt no longer works for us and anything that changes that is a positive no matter how slow it takes.
Trump's biggest sin? Crime if you will. He isn't "one of them". That'd abide a Romney or a McCain but a total outsider? NEVER. He wasn't infested and invested in Beltway nonsense.
Exactly, James Prusinowski! I've been saying the same thing for a decade.
Early on I was perplexed at the hysterical reaction to Trump immediately, before he had a chance to do anything that might be unpopular with anyone. But I soon realized that this reaction on the part of the "Professional Political Class" and the "Professional Media Elites" was his status as an outsider.
Rather than slogging his way through school board and local elections, mayorships, representative, senator, governor, his entry level job in politics was as Leader of the Free World! "This will not stand! If we let every mechanic, school teacher, firefighter, and nurse come here for two years or six years to serve their country, then return to their regular professions, just as the Founders intended... why, then, what will become of us? People who have never held an honest private sector job, never had to make a deadline or a payroll?!"
Term Limits. Term limits, term limits, term limits. And real ones. Not three six-year terms and nine two-year terms. Go home! Flush the swamp!
A nice thought though it easily could turn to “be careful what you wish for”. Imagine the newbies knowing they have two or three terms to bank those deep state, corporate lobbying dollars. And when they take office, guess who’s going to break them in to “how things work around here.”
Agree on term limits. One in office, one in prison
BAD IDEA. When I was in CA we voted in term limits. The Democrats used them to secure permanent control of the entire state. They are superior in winning elections with public funds via NGO's etc.
Trump is a felon- he stole docs and then lied on the affidavit claiming all the docs had been returned and his people destroy video evidence,
He could have chosen to surrender the docs and fight in court with the DOJ and archives over his right to get them back. Instead he deliberately chose the path of perjury and obstruction of justice.
A savvy prosecutor interested in a quick win that sends a message not only about docs but cooperating honestly with the FBI would simply have tried Trump for obstruction and perjury in 2023.
The docs charges were much more serious, but also hard to try in court given delays over national security considerations and the inability to expose specific secret docs in a courtroom.
The choice was between a quick win and jail time (Trump would have been in jail during the 2024 campaign) or a long drawn out battle that could take years.
Biden’s handlers did not want Trump in jail. They wanted him to be the candidate, but with multiple legal charges hanging over his head. They thought this would propel the Dem base to turn out while demotivating the GOP base. Didn’t turn out the way they planned! 😂
The Dems lawfare strategy that didn’t put Trump in jail for perjury and obstruction was a choice. Trump was not innocent- he is a crook who deserved jail time.
The stolen documents charge is a bullshit charge. If enforced, Biden would be in prison today, along with just about everyone with access to classified documents in the Federal government. It was an excuse to incriminate Trump with a bogus offense. Remember that Capone was jailed for tax evasion. As an aside, if I wanted to send you to jail, I would simply have to review your tax filings, and I guarantee that I would find multiple instances of tax fraud.
Biden wasn’t prosecuted because he was an incompetent, nominally in charge of the DOJ, and a sitting prez can’t be prosecuted,
Biden’s people also (eventually) cooperated with the government and had them take possession of all that Biden stole.
Trump lied and obstructed justice rather than cooperating. That is a crime that has nothing to do with “everyone stealing docs”.
If “everyone stealing docs”
Is OK, I presume you oppose the Bolton investigation?
Trump did not lie and/or obstruct justice. That's a Dem talking point, nothing more.
He had his lawyer sign an affidavit under penalty of perjury that all docs had been returned when Trump knew they had not, Meanwhile, Trump hid several boxes of docs and instructed his employee to destroy the video evidence.
These are open and shut cases of perjury and obstruction of justice,
Perhaps you should familiarize yourself with the facts of the case? Facts aren’t “talking points”.
My understanding was that Biden took those documents while he was VICE President, not President, and could probably be prosecuted if he weren't incomptent to stand trial.
Nah, Biden got out of prosecution by claiming mental incompetence. "An elderly man with a poor memory."
Forgot already, eh?
Well the media did conspire to cover up his dementia, so that's understandable.
Hilarious. Now you are supporting Bolton? And you wonder why on one listens to you.
Bunk. A ex-president cannot "steal" docs that he had an arguable right to having.
The so-called documents case was the flimsiest of all the lawfare cases against Trump--obviously a political hit job. And an armed raid of an ex-president's home by men with machine guns to retrieve the so-called stolen docs? Disgraceful.
Biden was the one who "stole" classified docs and held them for decades, with absolutely no right to do so. But he got off because he "cooperated" with authorities. Also bunk.
Take your lies elsewhere.
Perjury and obstruction of justice are felonies. Trump chose to commit felonies rather than adjucate his rights to the docs in court. He’s a crook, should have been in jail during the 2024 campaign, and the only reason he wasn’t is because the Dems wanted Trump to be the candidate (with legal clouds over his head). It sure didn’t turn out how they planned!
I’ve been subject to premises searches and email discovery twice by the DOJ (done in cooperation with my firm’s lawyers- as the first approach to Trump regarding the stolen docs was done- they’ll let your lawyers do the search of you are cooperating)
However, I had to sign an affidavit to the DOJ (twice) under penalty of perjury that the docs we turned over were full and complete.
If I had deliberately lied, hid docs and then destroyed video evidence showing the docs being hidden - yeah 1) I would expect to go to jail and 2) I would expect a raid where the FBI searches for docs rather than our lawyers being allowed to respond to a search warrant.
Duh.
It’s OK to back a crook. Biden and Hillary were crooks, too.
I couldn’t debase myself by voting for any of the above (and I never have). Everyone has their own standards to uphold (or trod on).
They were working on negotiations with the archives. Then it got moved up to 11. It was politically motivated from the start - everyone knows it, and it helped get Trump elected, with the expectation that Trump would expect payback.
Further conjecture suggests what they were looking for was any documents related to the conspiracy behind RussiaGate, in order to cover their tracks.
The records case got thrown out of court because Biden's DOJ screwed up massively. No one finds any support in looking up pleadings and legal maneuverings, which often sound like one thing but are done for completely different reasons.
By the way - Obama has a bunch of documents, but maintains he is working with the archivists - just as Trump was doing at the time of the raid,
As a thought Jim: Yes--another timely RACKET report. But why is our national conversation spotlighting homes and mortgages in the hands of the rich and connected when the spotlight should be on why the young American's who comprise our Republic's future are cut out of the home and mortgage market altogether? Thugland finance (Blackrock et al.) destroyed the housing market-- gutted our national economy-- then took free money from the treasury- scooped up the decimated remains of American residential housing--converted it to rentals and continue to jack prices through the proverbial "roof". The criminal theft of every hard earned dime--while the no living wage paid-- no future and family inhabitants of a drug addled psyoped AI electronic zombieland stripped of history--culture and civilization--stare dead eyed into the hypnotic viperous reality of the D.C./Brussels/CCP Davos serpent. It represents-and has for a while now-- a purely moral evil. Interestingly no one speaks--can speak without risk of destruction--of the classified/national security budgets that can't pass an audit and the simply disappeared D.C.treasury trillions.
Earlier this year--on a cold spring day--I witnessed a young man in his early twenties laying out cardboard on a sidewalk and arranging dirty blankets and a sleeping bag--obviously trying to exploit the sunlight for warmth.--(This is a mountain town and it freezes at night). He---and now often a she--are our children. D.C. grifters can have two and three homes --devil may care rules be damned--but young American men and women--the only future our Republic has- can't even have hopes and dreams.
Revenge? Indeed someone will pay.-- But it won't be Donald Trump or the gaggle of Soros/DNC district attorneys that helped hold/are holding the American Republic in thrall to the six decade lie dismantling the American future. Speculation and opinion abounds and the commentariat seethes--but a real winter is coming. No sunlight allowed.
Nope- the archives and DOJ asked for all the docs back.
Several choices at that point- comply and fight your case in court, refuse and fight your case in court (knowing they will be sending a team in with search warrants to seize them) or lie and cover up - ie commit felonies.
Martha Stewart and hundreds of others have learned that while the original charges you face could well be BS, you will go to jail for lying and obstructing justice.
Trump chose to commit felonies, no matter what you think of the merits of the original charges or the reasons behind them.
You still don't get it. We now know beyond a shadow of a doubt that the legal actions taken against Trump--starting with the Russiagate Hoax--were all part of a prosecutorial vendetta to take him down. It is a foundational principle of our legal system that, in order to be just, the law must be applied in an even handed and impartial manner. As the judge and jury in these cases, I deem that this did not happen, and accordingly, all charges against Trump must be thrown out on the grounds of prosecutorial misconduct. Why do you find this so hard to understand?
What you don't know about me is that I have been a Trump critic and Trump lampooner extending back to the Art of the Deal days of the late 80s. But the more the System tried to railroad him, the more sympathetic I have became. You really are missing the point here.
Spare me the pious "I couldn't debase myself" for voting for Trump, et al. If you truly had standards, you would acknowledge the questionable legitimacy of the entire process.
Yeah, but he's our crook.
See my replies, above. The fallacy in your logic is in legitimating any of the obviously politically motivated prosecutions of Trump.
Think about what you’re saying. Your case was in no way analogous to the former and current President’s case. You were not working with NARA when the WH sent the FBI to raid because you were not a POTUS, who declassifies documents lawfully. The case was dismissed due to the prosecution having no legal appointment, as held by SCOTUS. You continue to opine that POTUS should be in jail, yet no court has rendered that verdict, though they tried.
Biden would have had to remove the documents he had from a SCIF. Trump had access to those documents as President.
Pretty sure you could say that about most if not all politicians.
True of most of us given all of the arcane rules on the books.
https://www.amazon.com/Three-Felonies-Day-Target-Innocent/dp/1594035229
And given DC pols usually have two residences I bet most of them lied on their mortgage applications!
Disagree that that "Biden's handlers did not want Trump in jail."
All the specious charges, the huge fines, and the specter of a lengthy sentence hung over Trump's head for months -- and may still be reinstated when he leaves office. They most definitely did want him in jail --- for the rest of his life.
They wanted him on the campaign trail as the candidate, IMO.
They wanted him as the front runner - then decapitated to throw the race their way. That didn't end up working very well for them did it.
Nothing they did over the last 4 years has worked out well for democrats.
Your boy Biden did it before he was president! He was a shit ass senator and VP. He also sold the US out to China allowed a spy balloon to traverse the US over our most sensitive military sites. Get out of your echo chamber.
You list a number of (mostly) facts. And then ignore facts that go against your partisan slant.
Yup- you are in an echo chamber.
I am happy to acknowledge both Biden and Trump as crooks, and Trump as the better prez (so far). I would never vote for either, of course. I don’t know why you and others feel so insecure and defensive about slavishly backing a crook as “your boy”. No reason to be ashamed- partisanship outweighs morality for most people.
You're correct. A crooked Trump is still heads and shoulders above anything the Dems have to offer. Pete Buttigieg? LOLOLOLOL
He was remarkably bad from his first day.
Every one of our Founding Fathers was an insurrectionist and a traitor.
And not the kind of unarmed insurrectionists that stay behind velvet ropes.
See China's response to Tiananmen Square in 1989, their own J6. They didn't fuck around, they killed them ALL.
Good guy CPC.
Hey Tree...Last time I looked, he was still your President of the United States. LOL
If the D's had thrown Trump in jail they would have a low-grade civil war on their hands.
He certainly isn't (one of them). He's worse!
Yes Buttrod he’s upsetting the Democrats and Republicans Grift against the People, the taxpayers, their Constituents and our Constitution all of which they are supposed to be Protecting and Representing!
Neither was obama who I do not recall seeing him on the dems news or much about him there he is the Prez. But he was a Dem, so all forgiven or planned?
When I was a kid, many decades ago, I remember my father saying something very much like "why do politicians spend millions to win a job that pays them so little?" Makes me think that even so long ago, even my dad who did not pay a lot of attention to politics, understood the simple truth of corruption in politics. Yet it seems that this simple obvious truth escapes so many. Certainly the politicians think they they can continue the ruse, keeping it all a well kept secret. Thank god for journalists like Matt.
That’s true. I’m not thrilled with either party and want the country returned to the people. It’s a dream I’ll never see come true but one can dream
«There most likely was a handshake between these two parties over the type of illegalities they could both do where there would be a blind eye when it came to enforcement. The Dems broke that deal when going after Trump.»
My guess is that the origin point was instead Trump being a "birther". After that break of the "don't look" convention I guess the Ds decided to punish him.
Of course that was a Clinton talking point initially.
Blissex, I agree there is an handshake between both parties regarding illegalities, but it's because they're both the same party. It's all a show while they funnel taxpayer money back to themselves in a circular economy. Both parties love war, favor large corporations over small businesses, and support free speech when it suits them. Doesn't seem like there's much difference to me.
The lawsuits against Trump seemed like the Truman show. It's all bread and circuses. I was worried about Biden raising taxes. I don't worry about these things anymore since it's the same party. Trump was going to stop the wars; except now he loves them. Almost as much as he loves surveillance. The uniparty wins in the end. The differences are small but the talk is big. AOC votes for every war - what does that tell you?
«there is an handshake between both parties regarding illegalities»
Indeed but in the specific case of Trump both parties are involved in the same transdactions, not just in the same type illegalities. If the Ds could "get Trump" on bribery they would, even if they themselves did the same, after all one-side anti-corruption campaigns are a standard tools of factional fighting; but they cannot be one-sided in the Trump case.
«but it's because they're both the same party.»
I have two nice quotes about that:
Julius Nyerere: “The United States is also a one-party state but, with typical American extravagance, they have two of them.”
Gore-Vidal: “There is only one party in the United States, the Property Party [...] and it has two right wings: Republican and Democrat. Republicans are a bit stupider, more rigid, more doctrinaire in their laissez-faire capitalism than the Democrats, who are cuter, prettier, a bit more corrupt — until recently [...] and more willing than the Republicans to make small adjustments when the poor, the black, the anti-imperialists get out of hand. But, essentially, there is no difference between the two parties.”
«It's all a show while they funnel taxpayer money back to themselves in a circular economy.»
That is somewhat demagogic as for the politicians in the USA self-dealing is only a nice side-effect: their main job is to represent the interests of the "sponsors":
https://blissex.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/poliusabossesofsenate.jpeg
Since their "sponsors" have largely similar interests this is the result indeed:
«Both parties love war, favor large corporations over small businesses, and support free speech when it suits them.»
But even if I agree with that I do not agree with this:
«Doesn't seem like there's much difference to me. The lawsuits against Trump seemed like the Truman show. It's all bread and circuses.»
The big deal is that even if on many thing the interests of the "sponsors" are aligned there are factions with rather different interests in some important areas.
So Trump belongs to the Bayh/Perot/Buchanan line and in particular he is a consolidationist nationalist paleo-con instead of a expansionist globalist centrist. Their overall argument is that the USA empire is overstretched and has a weak core country so to make it last longer there has be a phase of consolidation of the empire and strengthening of the core country.
For the "sponsors" (mostly finance, tech, real estate) whose interests are for more expansion and globalism of the USA empire that means making a lot less money and they do not care about making the USA empire last longer.
That is a really big difference between the "MAGA" faction and the "centrist" faction of the "sponsors" and it involves lots and lots of money so all niceties of "centrist" vs. "centrist" (e.g. Obama vs. Romney) contests are out, and anything goes.
You're saying Schiff should be in jail for taking campaign money from Ed Buck, the donor who supplied meth to gay prostitutes, and was convicted for the death of one of them? I'd like to see Schiff in jail for other things, but how is he criminally involved in this case? Perhaps there's something I haven't heard.
"Remember- It's not a lie, if YOU believe it."
-George Costanza
Lawfare will not end until the Democrats feel some real pain. The trump administration should seek the maximum penalty for all 3.
I'd rather it just stop no matter what so it doesn't escalate, but I doubt it will stop without some consequences.
These assholes all pass laws and enact regulations that the rest of us have to spend enormous amounts of time and money to follow. Or else. But then they whine and complain when they're called to account. Cry me a river. If anyone should be held to the strictest account it's them.
And regarding the appellate court's throwing out the absurd judgment against Trump - a few things. One, the Appellate Division, First Department, which issued the ruling covers the Bronx and Manhattan and is a liberal court with mostly Democrat justices. And they found both Constitutional and legal errors in the decision by the partisan fool, Arthur Engoron, who issued the verdict. Two, Leticia James, the obese moron, who sought the judgment, is the chief legal officer of New York. What does it say about her, and her voters, that even a very liberal court, found that she sought a judgment that clearly violated Constitutional standards? Maybe that New York under Democrat rule, has devolved into a clownish idiocracy? At best.
What does “obese” have to do with anything? Next, you’ll be objecting to her skin color. Be careful.
Well she is throwing her weight around...in all the wrong ways.
Ha!
Dean Wurmer wasn't wrong - fat, drunk and stupid is no way to go through life. Or be an Attorney General.
I don’t see how being fat has anything to do with being stupid. Ditto with skin color.
Notice I’m not taking a position on how stupid she might be—they’re not correlated.
So you jump on the "fat" remark in order to avoid the much more pertinent "stupid" remark, or more accurately, he called her a moron. Her fatness did not get her into trouble. Her stupidity caused her to greedily overreach her authority because of partisanship and personal animosity, definitely the opposite of the blindfolded lady justice. As an aside, maybe her fatness caused her to feel immune from criticism/prosecution due the current climate that makes fat shaming out of favor. All of this completely disqualified her from being in the position of Attorney General since she obviously thinks she is above the law and can target people with her power. Her arrogance and general finger-wagging were atrocious. She is a discredit to her race and gender. 🤮
Not a valid conclusion at all. She may be stupid or not; fatness has nothing to do with it.
Wrong! Her fatness is keenly obvious so why not remark upon it. As it happens so is her stupidity and arrogance. She is not a nice person and made her own self a perfect target on all grounds. People in glass houses should not throw stones in their own self interest. It's not like being fat is comparable to being black. She could lose weight if she chose to. She cannot change her color. I don't know if she qualifies as obese, and she does keep herself well, not slovenly, so there is that. It's not that I don't like fat people. I don't like HER. She put herself out there to do injustice so all's fair.
"They're not correlated."
That's a pretty bold statement. Are you sure?
All evidence shows that race and intelligence are highly correlated, both in the USA, and globally.
USA:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:WAIS-IV_FSIQ_Scores_by_Race_and_Ethnicity.png
"Approximate Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale IV full-scale IQ score distributions for US racial and ethnic groups. The data are based on samples matched to the US Census for education and region of the country within racial/ethnic group.
Race, Average IQ:
White, 103.21
Black, 88.67
Hispanic, 91.63
Asian, 106.07
Globally, average IQ, by country:
Top 5:
1 Japan 106.48
2 Taiwan106.47
3 Singapore 105.89
4 Hong Kong 105.37
5 China 104.1
Bottom 5:
194 Gambia 52.68
195 Cape Verde 52.5
196 Guatemala 47.72
197 Sierra Leone 45.07
197 Liberia 45.07
https://www.datapandas.org/ranking/average-iq-by-country
Wow! No wonder Africa is such a nightmare and can't govern itself! Black Americans should be grateful to have been brought to this country even as slaves. It does seem to me that this proves IQ is less related to race than it is to environment. Living in a primitive environment is bad for one's intelligence. Which shows how abominable our tolerance of ghettos and ghetto schools is. THAT is what this country should be ashamed of and especially that we allow it to persist!
"It does seem to me that this proves IQ is less related to race than it is to environment."
Not at all.
No matter where they go, blacks are less intelligent than all other races.
American blacks have had 300 years to mix with other races, thus increasing their average IQ--by nature, nothing to do with environment.
There are numerous studies that confirm this. Most of them examine black kids adopted by and raised by white parents. There appears to be an early boost to IQ, but that fades away, the blacks revert to their genetic mean as adults.
Also, see South Africa's IQ--highest in all of Africa. Same environment--Africa--but more white people, raising the average IQ.
Yeah, it's not environment. The sooner we accept reality, the sooner we can implement solutions to our demographic problem.
Being obese is both a life choice and a clear health risk. Being stupid is conflating fatness and skin color.
I remember when this first went down a number of NY businesses expressed concern, realizing a motivated prosecutor could do it to any of them. Seeking to reassure them, Gov. Hochul basically admitted that the prosecution was following special rules meant for Trump only.
A clownish idiocracy at its best is recklessly heading further into insanity by trying to elect a Pathetic Incompetent Socialist Moron as Mayor of NYC.
A Clownish Idiocracy indeed. The Former, Big Apple 🍎! The City that Never Thinks!
My divorced mother of 5 children took a lower/middle class state job in the 70's and needed afterschool care some days when the 2 oldest moved out, so she hired a lady. My mother paid her as an employee and paid the taxes and social security. How many politicians, judges, etc. have been exposed as paying for similar work under the table? Time to enforce the laws on everyone or get rid of those laws. The double standards are destroying our country.
The law exists to protect the ruling class but not bind them; likewise, the law exists to bind the ruled but not to protect them.
Well, that's the way it has turned out due to the depravity of human beings. I think it probably didn't start out that way. So lay off the law.
After a few days, I still have no idea what the point is here.
What are you mad about?
Is "the law" as a concept above criticism?
Do you think that the application of law is fair and even and therefore above reproach?
Were you just drunk?
Really just can't come up with anything that makes sense. Would love to know. Being totally serious. I am absolutely befuddled.
I have a profound respect for the law when it was written and as it was written. Mostly that goes back 250 years with the founders and the immediate following generation. Now I understand there was a sedition act I believe in Adam's term that was quite severe and was almost immediately repealed (and Wilson did some funky sedition stuff) but largely I take on faith that those early laws, the foundation of our country were honorable. Laws in the last 50-75 years I can't vouch for and wouldn't even consider. There has been so much corruption, you-scratch-my-back-I'll-scratch-yours crap in the current and recent decades of lost morality that those laws are all suspect. But our foundational laws I believe were good and demand or respect. They have lasted 250 years! I believe that respect for the law is the ground on which our country stands. Disrespect for the law is anarchy. To badmouth "the law" is to breed discontent, and who wants to do that but anarchists and tyrants? To amend the law within the system is a different matter. And even regarding recent laws respect for our system, i.e., how you go about eradicating a consensus "bad" law is crucial. I'm afraid modern Americans don't have the basic respect for our system of law that is necessary for a strong citizenry. I'm not drunk or being naive, but the USA was founded on the rule of law so until proven otherwise the law is sacrosanct. Am I clear now? (I did not reply to your previous reply because of your nonsense, a$$hole remark about hurting the law's feelings.) You have to be from a different generation than mine which feels like what came before is just as questionable as what is now. That is not true. The people from the early generations of this country were God-fearing people who took their duty to the country seriously whether you agree with them or not. That depth of loyalty rarely exists nowadays.
Yes, I deeply respect the opinions of people who thought slaveowners really had the right idea and everything was better before women could vote.
You don't have a respect for "the law". You are an authoritarian.
Oh, my gosh! You are what I thought you are - hopeless and clueless. Are you an American? I think not. More likely some BS artist/jihadi, indoctrinated by a useless liberal university. Good luck in the real world.
Also, I considered your first remark to be cynical, the exact opposite of what the founders intended. A "ruling class" was the exact opposite of what they were trying to build into our country in the Constitution and even "four score and seven years" later Lincoln was still asserting the primacy of "the people", so get off this kick that the laws are not written to protect the people. That is their purpose until the last century anyway. So either be more specific or take it up with your congressman, senator and president. Don't rabble-rouse like Antifa. The only fascists are on the far left!
I'm very sorry that I hurt the law's feelings. And yours.
In 1993 two women nominated by Bill Clinton for AG were derailed for not paying taxes on illegal domestic workers. It became known as "Nannygate".
“Make no mistake. It’s not revenge he’s after……it’s a reckoning”
- Doc Holliday
I am your retribution, I recall he said.
I remember that. I also remember saying that a male candidate would never have been asked such a question.
A satirical song by The Capitol Steps included this story, if memory serves…
I remember that well.
True -- that's why so many upper income people are whining about mass deportations.
They're losing their cheap child care, maid service, and landscapers.
«My mother paid her as an employee and paid the taxes and social security. How many politicians, judges, etc. have been exposed as paying for similar work under the table?»
Are you sure your mother was a real american?
Exactly!
The help are independent contractors responsible for paying all the taxes.
It depends on the facts and circumstances. If a domestic worker (maid, nanny etc) comes to your home when you say and does what you ask them to do, the DOL would probably consider them an employee.
And does that work for no one else as in for other clients.
True, from a legal perspective. Though every tradesperson and contractor I hire is there to do what I want them to do (not that they do it always)
Yes, but they come when they want and provide their own tools. These are considered substantive differences under labor law.
They don’t come when they want. If I want a plumber tomorrow and the guy says no, I fire him and get a new one.
And most cleaners now bring their own supplies and materials for exactly this reason. The homeowner asks them what day they would like to come each week (their choice) and they bring their own stuff.
My point is that people know what the law is and structure ways around it (not iron clad, but serviceable 95 pct of the time). That people didn’t bother doing this as much in the past was simply because it wasn’t prosecuted.
Of course this is easier to do with a cleaner or landscaper or handyman than say, a nanny working five days a week only for you. In the latter case, better to pay the taxes or hire an agency for cover.
It if they are employees and subject to social security payments
They say Trump is on a “retribution tour”, going after his enemies. Hell, yes, it is! And that’s one of the things we voted for. Sadly, whatever he does to them won’t rise to the level of what they did to him. But, hey, it’s satisfying to watch them squirm and sweat.
Yep…I choose not to say “ retribution “ or “ revenge.” These people have committed crimes…and now cry that they are being “targeted.” I have also taken a vow to no longer respond to or waste my time conversing with a Trump “haters” as their charges are all fabrications of legacy media and not fact based. It’s very liberating…so speaking of weaponizing justice…. the Dems were quite busy…
They arrested Donald J. Trump
They arrested Steve Bannon
They arrested Peter Navarro
They arrested Walt Nauta
They arrested Carlos De Oliveira
They arrested Tom Barrack
They arrested Rudy Giuliani
They arrested Mark Meadows
They arrested John Eastman
They arrested Jenna Ellis
They arrested Michael Roman
They arrested Kenneth Chesebro
They arrested Jeffrey Clark
They arrested Sidney Powell
They arrested Robert Cheeley
They arrested David Shafer
They arrested Shawn Still
They arrested Stephen Cliffgard Lee
They arrested Harrison William Prescott Floyd
They arrested Trevian C. Kutti
They arrested Scott Graham Hall
They arrested Misty Hampton
They arrested Cathleen Alston Latham
They arrested Ray Stallings Smith III
They arrested Boris Epshteyn
They arrested Christina Bobb
They arrested Kelli Ward
They arrested Tyler Bowyer
They arrested Nancy Cottle
They arrested Jacob Hoffman
They arrested Anthony Kern
They arrested James Lamon
They arrested Robert Montgomery
They arrested Samuel Moorhead
They arrested Lorraine Pellegrino
They arrested Gregory Safsten
They arrested Michael Ward
They arrested Allen Weisselberg
Now they're saying we're "weaponizing justice".
You forgot the entire group of January 6 demonstrators who were hounded, swatted, arrested, imprisoned, excoriated, tortured.
Not to mention that the entire January 6 was a fake "insurrection" entrapment/provocateur operation.
That as well!
Nice list. Should Michael Flynn, Roger Stone, George Papadopoulos, and Paul Manafort also be on it?
Like a Bank Robbers annoyed that in addition to being sentenced for Bank Robbery they can’t keep the money they stole from the bank!
That’s not fair, I did all the work to rob the bank that money should belong to me!
These Fools are Beyond Pathetic!
I honestly wish I could rise about my lowest proclivities and take the high road on this. I really do...but that would be a lie. I'm with you. The whole disgraceful affair reminds me of an old Grateful dead tune that I liked...but I could never discern any personal meaning or associations. Problem solved.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9Bs4xhDyxw&list=RDa9Bs4xhDyxw&start_radio=1
Just put them on “ IGNORE”.
We have a lack of integrity that runs through our culture. Fraud, perjury, defamation is rampant. We need a revival of ethics and mores.
Yep it’s exactly that. I really wondered when all this began how dumb should one be to shit where one eats. They all have their snout on n the trough, republicans or democrats, and I assumed calling each other out would fly in the face of self preservation.
Turned out I was wrong
Are they shitting where they eat? Or....are they eating where they shit? Hmmm...lemmee think. I suppose we could say that the democrats shat where they had eaten, and now the republicans are eating where they shit. What the world needs now is another Shakespeare. But then again....who the hell needs Shakespeare when we have Taibbi?!? Meanwhile, although I cannot find within me the slightest sympathy for the targets of this current round of charges—I cannot help but to say, in every sense, what’s passed is prologue.
In all honesty when the democrats started doing the lawsuits that was when I changed my party registration. All of the worst episodes in history were premised on "whatever it takes".
As a high school dropout, I'm still amazed at how these "people of knowledge" continue to self document things that eventually come back to bite them in the ass.
This is my issue too! They must believe that, because they’re the special elevated people, it’s ok. They can never claim that they didn’t know. And after convicting Trump on individual counts for miscategorizing payments....all I can say is that the horse has left the barn. Good luck, suckers.
Fred, there are many more A-holes than bodies out there, and most think they are Educated.
Paper Degrees don’t matter it’s the person, the man or woman’s abilities their honesty and their character that matters.
We need more people like you, good folks with integrity and common sense.
🇺🇸
As I once heard and found to be true.........Intelligence doesn't equal wisdom
And "highly-educated" does not mean well-educated...
Knowledge alone does not produce wisdom. People can do exceedingly well in an academic discipline, but outside of that they can be utter dolts; pair academic excellence with outsized arrogance for being amongst "the smartest," and you get the kind of idiocy outlined in Salzman's latest piece.
perhaps they have insider information that those documents are not reviewed for accuracy, and this is just 'how to do it'.
Arrogance.
I'm actually more in favor of tit for tat retribution ("reap the whirlwind") than I am for whacking folks for lying to banks. I was the same guy on the loans for investment properties, and my house. Same guy, same risk. The banks are among the U.S. institutions most deserving of our hatred (though the list of those institutions is long).
Sauce for the Trump gander as sauce for the lawfare-initiating geese. Who of sense wouldn't relish the even-handed approach?
It's not the 'same risk' from the bank's perspective. As Eric alludes above, you can only live in one house at a time. When push comes to shove you will give up on your mortgages for those investments first, especially since there are legal protections available to retain the residence you claim as primary.
I've always been personally liable for all of them. Upon default on one, all would be attached. A premium for limited liability is obviously appropriate, but I would be surprised if members of congress stooping to lying on loan applications weren't cross-collateralized.
What about grocery stores, car dealerships, insurance companies? - we should steal from them, too!
Steal from everyone and lie to everyone, right?
«Steal from everyone and lie to everyone, right?»
That is the American Way! Be a winner or be a sucker.
Alexis de Tocqueville "Democracy In America" (1834)
«Consequently, in the United States the law favors those classes that elsewhere are most interested in evading it. [...] In America there is no law against fraudulent bankruptcies, not because they are few, but because they are many. The dread of being prosecuted as a bankrupt is greater in the minds of the majority than the fear of being ruined by the bankruptcy of others; and a sort of guilty tolerance is extended by the public conscience to an offense which everyone condemns in his individual capacity.»
Newt Gingrich "A new look at environmental policy" NAEP News, 1995:
https://aspace-uwg.galileo.usg.edu/repositories/2/archival_objects/124552
«For most Americans the speed limit is a benchmark of opportunity. This is not a light insight. If you have a society where almost every middle class person routinely fudges the law, that’s telling us something. We have laws that matter – murder, rape, and we have laws that don’t matter. The first thing that every good American says each morning is “What’s the angle?” “How can I get around it?” “What does my lawyer think?” “There must be a loophole!” [...] America is the most incentive-driven society on the planet.»
I get your point, but put insurance companies in the same bucket as banks: they enjoy institutional, bought-government monopolies and powers that inappropriately advantage them that grocery stores and car dealerships don't enjoy. We don't have to patronize particular car dealerships or grocery stores. We have to have bank accounts, credit histories, and insurance policies, all of which are gamed against citizens/ consumers. I therefore view banks, insurance companies and other like "institutions" as criminal enterprises, cartels, that we are forced to patronize, and so also view gaming them in response as more an honest citizen's act of defiance than stealing, since they are actively stealing from us. I'm suggesting that, since "voting the bums out" doesn't seem to work, selective enforcement might not always be a bad thing, and for now is probably preferable to the armed revolt prescribed in the Second Ammendment as the citizens' proper resort. Choose your poison: be taken advantage of inappropriately (sometimes lethally so), perform/ support small acts of defiance as a citizen, or grab a weapon and stand opposed. I'm in the middle, for now.
As always, the pendulum doth swing. Our ruling classes never seem to realize that they will be out of power someday. It amazes me how they never think that the other side can and will use the same tactics on them.
Because the other side in general has not used the opposition’s play book… now they are. I’m curious to how long the liberal media will continue to carry their very dirty water
This is not unlike any "protection racket". Politicians have acted like mobsters since go.
Projection: Matthew 7:3 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4 How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.
There are more serious allegations against Letitia James: her mortgage application for a house in Virginia listed it as her principal residence, impossible since as NY Attorney General she is required to have her principal residence in NY. It also had her father on the mortgage application and identified him as her husband.
Those go beyond any good faith error and get into willful, outright fraud.
https://whitecollarfraud.com/2025/04/14/the-case-against-ny-attorney-general-letitia-james-to-date/
In Lisa Cook's defense, she's on the board of the Federal Reserve and cannot be expected to be familiar with complex topics like interest expense and mortgages.
You had me until "In Lisa Cook's defense...."
Nope. No defense. Hire an expert if you have the money to buy loads of properties.
Then again, maybe I'm misreading sarcasm.
"Then again, maybe I'm misreading sarcasm"
You are indeed
In this case, it was sarchasm!
😝😝😝😝
Ha!
What seems to be lost in all of this: whatever the motivation for the pursuit of the lawbreakers might be, they broke the law. I am confident there are a number of Republicans officials in the same or similar situations and should be equally pursued. Time to end the protection of the Political Class.
They want healthcare for Congress? Use the VA.
They want retirement pensions? Use 401(k)s.
No insider trading? Pass a law preventing the ownership of individual securities (save USTs) while in office. Same for staffers.
They want online privacy/protection of their personal information? Make everything “opt in” for ALL people.
They want to really enforce deportation of illegals? Hold the corporations employing those liable.
Agree with all of these, but also believe that spouses of Congress critters should be prohibited from owning individual securities, as well.
zero doubt you can sweep up some Republicans in this.
These people miss the easiest way to avoid all this “retributioning”. Don’t break no laws.
Thank you Eric for a clear explanation of the situation. Yes, I would agree with your synopsis assuming all the facts are accurate. All 3 are guilty.
Since you seem to have been able to decipher and share the facts rather quickly, I wonder how long these cases will be in the court system. That will be interesting.