Monday, August 21, 2023

Indictments Went Down in Georgia

As the possibility of indictment grew large in Georgia, one of the first things I asked myself was, “Great, it’s a state charge so it’s not eligible for a presidential pardon, but what about a pardon from the Governor?" It would be the perfect “out” for TFG and a way for Governor Kemp to make his way back into the good graces of MAGA.

Then last week, (right after I submitted my weekly post, unfortunately), I got my answer:


Five seconds of Googling confirmed it, which I supposed I could have done in the first place, so that set my mind at ease a bit. And since then, several other blogs who are learned in the ways of politics have addressed it as well.

All Georgia pardons are done via a 5-member pardon board. And even if they were packed with red cap-wearing MAGAs, the law says that a pardon may only be applied AFTER a sentence is served, following conviction. It is literally impossible for it to be a “Get Out of Jail Free” card.

So what happens next? Do the Republicans go, “OK, this is pretty serious, so we might have to wrap our heads around a conviction and time served?” Hell No! This is America and Republicans don’t let a silly thing like The Law stand in the way of their pursuit of power.

When in trouble with the law, just change the law! That might as well be in their GOP Platform. Through speech and actions, it’s apparent that Republicans only consider “The Law” to be something applied to their enemies, political, social, or philosophical.

Can they pull that off? I don’t know, but nothing surprises me anymore. Stuff that conspirators used to mutter in the dark to each other is now trumpeted on the front page. There used to be a sense of shame, or fear, or just a sense of what’s right and wrong, but that’s long gone. All that’s left is the pursuit and maintenance of political power and the ability to use it against those who are not on “the team.” Everything else is secondary at best, and irrelevant at worst.

As far as I’m concerned, and I’ve said this many times over the past few years, there HAVE to be consequences when a president commits the kind of malfeasance we’ve seen under the last Administration. As a country, we cannot allow a president to run roughshod over traditional laws and standards, enrich himself via the power of the office, persecute political foes, rig the election apparatus, or threaten the peaceful transfer of power. When one does, like TFG has, he has to be penalized for it in such a way that no one else tries it again.

If that doesn’t happen, we cease to be a free democracy and instead, we become just another banana republic.

Even if we could obtain some kind of guarantee that TFG won’t run for office again, in return for dropping prosecution, it still rings the dinner bell for every other maniac who thinks they can loot the office and then golden parachute their way back out. The hell with the second term, they can just make bank in one term and walk away unscathed. We can’t have that if we want to continue the ideals of the Founding Fathers. Or merely be a free and democratic country.

***

I loved this:

Yes, my daddy wants your vote, your money, and your adoration, (not necessarily in that order), but he doesn’t want to actually be seen with you.”

Is this not the Trumpiest tweet ever?

Oh, heaven forbid we allow the little people to set foot in the gilded palace, without a mop or some hedge trimmers (or bolt cutters) in their hands. Call Security! Now who’s got the blow?”

Poor Junior. No matter how desperately he toadies up to his dad, he’s always playing for second place.

***

And lastly, I saw this posted on one of my conservative friend’s FB stream:

"And I remember when conducting an insurrection on national TV, with property destruction, attempted assassinations, and police deaths, would have earned you treason charges and the death sentence. What’s your point?"

Respecting the Flag??? Someone was trying to skewer a DC cop with a flagpole, for cryin’ out loud. How is that respect for the flag? MAGAs routinely fly the Nazi and Confederate flags. How is that not an insult to Old Glory herself? Hundreds of thousands of people died fighting against what those two flags represented. 

Rodney Dangerfield got more respect than what they’ve shown our flag.

4 comments:

Margaret (Peggy or Peg too) said...

Magas are idiot sheep.
Can you imagine everyone in the country saying Nixon shouldn't resign? Yes, stupid Ford pardoned him but most were not happy about it. Do you think that this bullshit could have even happened in the 70s? I wonder. I remember the outrage, the disgust even amongst my father's generation. Although my father was a card-carrying Dem and if Kennedy had done it he would have felt the same. Wrong is wrong he used to say. I want to see a mug shot, and a perp walk. I want him in orange to match his face. I want them to shave his combover. I want him gone from society. Is that really too much to ask for?

bluzdude said...

That's not too much at all.

I think it all changed with Newt Gingrich in the 90s. That's when politics became a zero-sum game, and it no longer mattered what they did if it was in the pursuit of power. Ends justified the means. Not coincidentally, Fox "News" came along around that time, to perpetuate the belief that whatever Democrats did was inherently wrong, just because it was done by Democrats. And conversely with Republicans, who could never do any wrong. If they were the ones doing it, that made it right.

If only we could run the Murdochs out of town on the same rail as TFG.

Bohemian said...

Jr.'s Tweet had me rolling... loves ALMOST all his Supporters... but don't come to my house you dirty hillbillies... and yet, they idolize him. Now I know why he boasted that he loved the uneducated, conmen don't have to be smart, just smarter than those they're conning and he's got that Down. Keep the money coming you Rubes, since he's hemorrhaging Money badly. He couldn't even tell the Truth about his weight and hair color... 215 my ass, and what Booking ever used Strawberry as a Hair Color? He tried so hard to look tough and just ended up looking constipated and positively demented and evil.

bluzdude said...

I think he lied about his height and weight just to get people talking about something other than the charges he's facing. The more he clowns, the more it becomes like a circus and he wants to be the ringleader.