Terrible choice of it happens.

Crazy times. DOGE

Actually a very interesting commentary on Trump's future administration.

Speaking to an Australian crowd, Niall Ferguson makes a well thought argument on what the Trump administration policies will be like. The acceptance of there being really the "Axis of evil", an anti-US coalition, and not as just mere wordplay as during the times of Dubya Bush, is going to be a crucial part in making Trump's foreign policy or what it's going to have to deal with. This discussed contrasted to Mearsheimer's views makes it worth listening to.

The rats are fleeing the ship, starting with illegally-appointed Jack Smith. The corrupt, political persecution has failed. Now he has only a few months to destroy all his evidence and communications, and milk his taxpayer-funded government payday until the last second.

Jack Smith Plans to Step Down as Special Counsel Before Trump Takes Office

Jack Smith, the special counsel who pursued two federal prosecutions of Donald J. Trump, plans to finish his work and resign along with other members of his team before Mr. Trump takes office in January, people familiar with his plans said.

Mr. Smith’s goal, they said, is to not leave any significant part of his work for others to complete and to get ahead of the president-elect’s promise to fire him within “two seconds” of being sworn in.

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/13/us/politics/jack-smith-special-counsel.html

Trump selects Matt Gaetz as AG

President-elect Donald Trump has chosen Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida to serve as his attorney general.

“Few issues in America are more important than ending the partisan Weaponization of our Justice System,” Trump wrote Wednesday in a post on his Truth Social platform. “Matt will end Weaponized Government, protect our Borders, dismantle Criminal Organizations and restore Americans’ badly-shattered Faith and Confidence in the Justice Department.”

Gaetz said in a post on X that it would “be an honor to serve” in the role.

The congressman remains under investigation by the House Ethics Committee for sexual misconduct, with the bipartisan committee saying in a rare statement in June that some of the allegations against Gaetz “merit continued review.”

Being probed are allegations that Gaetz may have “engaged in sexual misconduct and illicit drug use, accepted improper gifts, dispensed special privileges and favors to individuals with whom he had a personal relationship, and sought to obstruct government investigations of his conduct,” the committee said at the time. — CNN

I would say the reputation of Gaetz in Congress, even amongst Republicans, is 'notorious sleazebag', although 'weasel' and 'snake' might also be appropriate epiphets.

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard. Wow.

starting with illegally-appointed Jack Smith. — NOS4A2

Really? Do you know something no one else knows? Or is it just your usual?

The corrupt, political persecution has failed. — NOS4A2

What corrupt prosecution? By whom? What charges?
I think, nos4, you need to get your mouth checked, disgusting things keep coming out of it.

Gomer Pyle, Secretary of Agriculture

Really? Do you know something no one else knows? Or is it just your usual?

You’re just not up to speed, Tim.

What corrupt prosecution? By whom? What charges?
I think, nos4, you need to get your mouth checked, disgusting things keep coming out of it.

There was a quote, link, and everything, describing which prosecutor and which charges I was writing about. Maybe the foam bubbling out of your face was hindering its legibility.

Matt Gaetz as attorney general? Jesus, I'm laughing. What a joke this whole thing is. :lol:

Wasn't he the one who paid that 17 year old for sex?

You’re just not up to speed, Tim. — NOS4A2

Your speed? Nevah! But you are just a weasel. You wrote Jack Smith's appointment was illegal

illegally-appointed Jack Smith. — NOS4A2

It wasn't

You wrote

The corrupt, political persecution has failed. — NOS4A2

There was no corrupt prosecution. And when asked to clarify, as you usually do, you evade. You're a post-truth person, nos4, which means you lie, cheat, steal without scruple and should not be trusted even with a mop.

Your speed? Nevah! But you are just a weasel. You wrote Jack Smith's appointment was illegal

So did many people. A US District Court ruled as much. It’s old news. I’m not going to fill in the mouse-holes you have left in your brain.

There was no corrupt prosecution. And when asked to clarify, as you usually do, you evade. You're a post-truth person, nos4, which means you lie, cheat, steal without scruple and should not be trusted even with a mop.

You didn’t ask to clarify. You fumed at the mere sight of an opposing opinion and demanded me to write in a way of your liking, as any spoiled censor would do. I love arguing about these things, Tim, but not with someone who has no basic manners. Instead, you get what you give.

The rats are fleeing the ship, starting with illegally-appointed Jack Smith. The corrupt, political persecution has failed. Now he has only a few months to destroy all his evidence and communications, and milk his taxpayer-funded government payday until the last second. — NOS4A2

Members of the Trump cult live in an alternate reality. The only statement that has one toe in reality is the claim that Smith (and all previous special counsels) can't legally be appointed.

The "toe in reality": a single circuit court judge (Aileen Canon) ruled that AG's do not have the authority to appoint special counsels. The context this ignores: SCOTUS has previously ruled that AG's do have the authority, and appellate courts in other circuits have upheld this. Canon has previously made erroneous judgements in the case that were overturned on appeal. This is is also likely to be overturned. We could discuss the legal issues, but I doubt you'd consider them, since you invariably look no further than the rationalization for some pro-Trump ruling.

The evidence is overwhelming that Trump obstructed justice in the documents case, and that he conspired to illegally overturn the 2020 election. There is no exculpatory evidence. This is all true irrespective of the legality of the special counsel regulations, and irrespective of whether or not the morally bankrupt criminal will ever be held legally accountable.

Needless to say, the glaringly obvious facts that crimes were committed is proof positive that Smith's investigations and indictments were appropriate.

:100: :up:

of an opposing opinion — NOS4A2

What opinion did you express? I respect opinions as such - not always the content - but opinion is discussable. But opinions? You don't need no stinkin' opinions; you have your lies. And that's all you got.

Needless to say, the glaringly obvious facts that crimes were committed is proof positive that Smith's investigations and indictments were appropriate. — Relativist

Regardless, it's already obvious that one of DJT's major aims is to extract vengeance on the Department of Justice for prosecuting cases against him. There's an entire emerging counter-narrative that these prosecutions constituted 'weaponisation of the justice system', the premise being that they were unjust prosecutions brought for improper political purposes. But as always, Trump projects all of his most nefarious actions onto his opponents, and is intent on launching improper prosecutions against anyone he can, on no grounds other than vengeance Which is why he wants to appoint a completely unscrupulous lackey, Matt Gaetz, who's suitability is beyond ridiculous.

Oh, and news just in, he wants to make the ridiculous Robert Kennedy secretary for health. I mean, honestly, it's still two months out from inauguration, and already the whole debacle is becoming a s***show. And we've got four years of it to go. :fear:

And I implore everyone in this thread to stop feeding the MAGA troll. Only encourages it.

I wonder who Trump will install as FBI director, after he fires Christopher Wray. Maybe Sidney Powell, who showed her investigative prowess by unconvering Dominion Voting Systems' efforts to rig the 2020 election. Another possibility is Marjorie Taylor Greene. :wink:

Don't know whether to laugh or cry. But probably the latter.

This is is also likely to be overturned. — Relativist

I believe the appeal has been rescinded as Jack Smith is resigning so we won't get a decision on the matter. It's moot.

I wonder who Trump will install as FBI director, after he fires Christopher Wray. — Relativist

The same Christopher Wray he appointed?

Wray has said he would not let FBI agents target individuals (since that's unconstitutional), as Trump has promised to do (see this). Plus, Wray let his agents execute a search warrant of Mar-a-lago, after Trump hid "his" classified docs and lied about it. Trump needs someone loyal, who won't let the law get in the way of doing Trump's bidding.

Thanks; I knew he was planning to dismiss the fraud case, but overlooked this one. Apparently, Canon's ruling will not establish a binding precedent - since the prior SCOTUS ruling is still there.

Don't know whether to laugh or cry. But probably the latter. — Wayfarer

As always, comrade, I keep on laughing to keep from crying. I'm not a left-wingnut accelerationist but ... we're so fucked. :cry: :sweat:

Yeah I must stop doom-scrolling and posting about Trump. I see no silver lining whatever, only a long series of f***ups and outrages, which have already commenced two months before the actual inauguration. God knows what will happen when he gets behind the Resolute Desk, but it's going to be awful, all the while the sycophants and suckers rationalising and gaslighting everyone. 'A republic, if you can keep it.'

On the other hand, we’ll make it through it. The damage to the environment is the worst part, because we’re out of time already and see the damages all around us, season after season. But the rest — trashing civil service, deportations, just general stupidity — will still happen and probably be worse than last time. The small progress Biden made with FTC, SEC, and NLRB will be reversed— so more monopolies, union destruction, and corruption on Wall Street.

But we’ll survive it, and hopefully come back stronger and better organized.

But we’ll survive it, and hopefully come back stronger and better organized. — Mikie

https://thebulletin.org/doomsday-clock/current-time/

And into the china shop, walks the bull.

And into the china shop, walks the bull. — Wayfarer

:monkey:

While Trump’s choice of Gaetz to lead the Justice Department is a clear sign that his second administration will be catastrophically chaotic, vengeful and corrupt, that should never have been in doubt. Trump made no secret during his campaign of his desire to persecute his political enemies. Anyone he chose as attorney general would share his interest in turning the justice system into the enforcement arm of the MAGA movement. The selection of Gaetz just rips the mask off. With it, Trump is trolling not just his defeated opponents but many of his craven establishment supporters. It’s like Caligula trying to make his horse a consul. — Michelle Goldberg

Although that's probably a little unfair to the horse.....

One of the benefits of facing a deluge of anti-Trump propaganda is that one is forced to know what Trump haters believe. This helps eliminate the one-sided story and a great deal of confirmation bias.

Your own one-sided story has to weave a precarious thread. The appeals to authority no longer work when the authority doesn't rule in a way you like, so you have to discredit an authority in some cases while glorifying them in others. Without mentioning how unprecedented the case is or that the DOJ admitted to messing up the evidence, you mention Judge Cannon was once vacated on appeal for requesting a special master, so I guess all her rulings are suspect. But there is no such criticism of Jack Smith, who was once rebuked 8-0 by the supreme court for an unjust conviction of a politician. It appears that everything Smith does is above board, not because he is right or has a history of being right, but because his target is Trump. Everything Cannon does is suspect, not because she is wrong, but because her ruling favored the defense.

So saying it is "glaringly obvious" that Trump committed crimes just doesn't work when all you will do is repeat the accusations and the arguments of prosecution, while remaining wholly ignorant or at least reticent of the defense.

Something I was trying to figure out, but gave up on...
Why would The Clown possibly choose RFK Jr as head of Health?
I kept ending up at spite + show of power, but that's not very charitable.
If I were to categorize candidates as, say -- red, to-be-determined/maybe, green -- then RFK Jr would start out red for that position, and greens aren't that hard to find in the US.