A pardon for Paul Manafort is “not off the table,” President Donald Trump said, drawing swift rebuke from critics who fear the president will use his executive power to protect friends and supporters caught up in the Russia probe. ... Trump also praised two other supporters who are caught up in the Russia probe — conservative author and conspiracy theorist Jerome Corsi and longtime Trump associate Roger Stone. He said they were “very brave” for resisting Mueller’s investigation.Corsi probably will need a pardon, as he has hired a lawyer who has the reputation of being a clown (and a racist). Corsi wants his lawyers to file "a criminal complaint" against Mueller, which shows that, for a guy who says he has a Ph.D., Corsi's understanding of the criminal justice system hasn't gotten about second-grade level.
What this will eventually get Trump is impeachment for obstructing justice by using the pardon power to choke off an investigation that would ensnare himself, his sons and his son-in-law.
The question then will be whether there will be enough Republicans who will stand up for the rule of law over their party.
I'm betting "no".
5 comments:
Cue the bothsiderist response in 3....2....1.....
I'm not even sure how most Republicans could change direction now and act as though the NEXT thing the President does somehow changes things for them. They're seated right next to him for the long haul now, and if they've just now spotted the cliff, well, sorry.
Wait, what? I thought Republicans were all 2nd amendment, Constitution defending, law-abiding, rule-following, god-fearing, religious family-men (or women), who will fight for family values, truth, justice and the American way! I am shocked, SHOCKED I say, to hear folks say that is not the case.
Dale
(just in case someone doesn't get it, that was sarcasm.)
Trump can pardon only Federal crimes. Manafort has pleaded guilty to several state crimes, which are unpardonable. The same may hold true for Corsi.
As long as they equate a guilty vote with a primary challenge, I don't see enough senate Republicans peeling off to get to 67, even if they privately feel they could have more legislative success under a president Pence.
Whether Pelosi, who, whatever else you may think about her, knows when a vote in congress will win, decides to impeach him anyway because it's the right thing to do, remains to be seen.
My own feelings about it are that I want to get him out of there, and if the backlash from a botched attempt at impeachment gets him elected in 2020, then it was the wrong thing to do.
By all of the admittedly few signals he's given, Mueller is playing them like a fiddle, and there are a raft of sealed indictments about to see the light of day, and I'm expecting a fit of epic proportions to be thrown by the malignant narcissist in the white house when the walls start to close in on him and his immediate family.
I only hope that said fit doesn't include the military shooting and blowing stuff up a lot.
-Doug in Oakland
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