The newly appointed special counsel will investigate Donald Trump's criminality in the January 6 attack and the classified documents cases. Will he act expeditiously and fearlessly as he promised?
I understand your point about Merrick Garland punting. However, we know he has acted deliberately and carefully throughout this process to try to avoid the political backlash which will certainly happen, and already has happened from 45 himself, and will probably happen from the new House of Representatives, out of the equation. I think Garland really didn't have much choice. The resume of Jack Smith is very strong; and his statement after his appointment was very strong. Although there will be some delay as he gets up to speed because of all of the data that DOJ has amassed on the 2 cases, and possibly more data to be garnered from the House Select Committee (if any of that has not already been passed to the DOJ), I think this cushion of taking it out of Biden's government had to be done and is the better path forward, in spite of how the Mueller special counsel experiment didn't go so well. As has been widely mentioned in the news, 45 doesn't control this special counsel because 45 is not president. He will rant and rant and rant; and his cult people will rant and rant and rant with him; and the spineless members of his political party, who don't want to do anything to upset 45, will rant and rant and rant also. However, I feel that Jack Smith is the person for the job, for all of the reasons I mentioned above; and I am hopeful that this next phase of this prolonged investigation of 2 very probable indictable crimes by 45 will proceed professionally, expeditiously, and will result in the indictment that I believe is truly warranted. We are all equal under the law in America. Thank you for this thoughtful forum for expressing our views.
And so it so obviously seems with Trump's continued freedom. Failure to arrest Trump (there have been three good opportunities inmyhumbleopinion) has allowed him to continue to spread his toxicity. And now with Musk, he has help. And it's all disgusting.
But with the appointment of Jack Smith as Special Counsel there is a ray of hope...again. We the People are tired and exhausted. We want a return to normalcy without the chaos and confrontations of our political discourse. With that kind of discord, promoted and perpetuated by the so-called Republican party, there doesn't seem to be a light at the end of THAT tunnel.
After a few days of thinking about it and reading various articles about it, I believe AG Garlands reasoning is sound. The appearance of political indictments against Trump will be effective in the Court of Public opinion. So, Jack Smith makes sense despite the fact that we really really need for Trump to be arrested (like yesterday!) and publicly neutered.
Joyce White Vance fills in a few blanks for us and tells us why she's encouraged.
These are the facts we actually know as opposed to what is speculated.
DOJ had orangehead's signature on the check that sent Cohen to prison, and they did nothing. That is a fact.
DOJ had the 10 Counts of Obstruction Mueller outlined in 200 page detail (investigation bought and paid for by the American taxpayer) and said could be prosecuted the minute orangehead left office, and yet, Garland has declined to prosecute and the statutes on at least 8 of the 10 counts have expired. That is a fact.
DOJ "negotiated" with a known serial criminal for 6 months (in addition to NARA doing the same for a full year) over the return of the thousands of government docs, including hundreds of Top Secret docs, that were left unsecured at a hotel in South Florida. These TS/SCI docs shouldn't have been left unsecured for 6 seconds, let alone 6 months. Further, DOJ did nothing for an additional 6 months after being notified about it. That is a fact.
Where are the top secret docs that are still missing? - Has the suspect even been brought in for formal questioning about it? It's illegal to lie to the FBI ...as opposed to allowing him to spew nonsense on TV all day for months on end about the FBI planting the evidence or his magical declassification process, fermenting further dissent and inciting further violence by his cult (remember the FBI office that got shot up after the raid?).
Based on the facts we actually know, a healthy dose of skepticism is very much in order.
Thank you. I know the facts you listed are real. The questions you raise about the classified docs have always bothered me as well. I’ve been unable to think of any reason why the docs were left at Mar a Lago for an entire year and it alarms me. We’ve been told lives were at stake if the info contained in those documents got into the wrong hands. If that’s true, it has been true for over a year, yet no one did a thing about it. That doesn’t make any sense, yet no one has addressed it. It seems to me the DOJ has to move forward assuming the info DID get into the wrong hands.
The idea that Trump took the docs for any other reason than to sell the info to the highest bidder is absurd. It’s so absurd that any serious person, whether they are knowledgeable about the law & classified documents or not, should have been laughed out of the room for saying it. But all I’ve seen are people very pointedly saying it with a straight face. THAT alarms me as well. I get the “innocent until proven guilty” issue, nevertheless it strains credulity.
The obstruction of justice counts found by Mueller haven’t been addressed at all as far as the public is concerned. We’ve heard nothing about the other classified documents we’ve been told are still missing. As several people have pointed out, Ethel & Julius Rosenberg were executed for far less than what we know beyond a shadow of doubt Trump has done. That’s alarming as well.
Based on all of the above and based on the fact that Trump is still living his life without any consequences 2 years after conspiring to overthrow the government via a violent, deadly insurrection, I can only conclude there’s a LOT more going on than we realize and that alarms me more than anything I’ve written here. There’ve been a lot of plausible excuses offered by a lot of people at this point, but when you look at all of the facts from a great distance, none of it makes any sense.
Here is my take. Few people want to take on Trump, as the result is a barrage of personal insults, threats and potentially dangerous consequences (think: Michigan Governor Gretchen Witmer's planned abduction by Trump-supporting domestic terrorists). Trump wields his poisonous rhetoric against one and all, perceived friend and foe alike, with the resilience of an angry Fire Ant. When Trump declared his intent to run again, it was a prime opportunity to designate an independent prosecutor, outside of the DOJ. It negated one of Trump's favourite claims that this prosecution is another witch hunt by the 'radical Left'. Trump appears increasingly vulnerable, as family members and GOP increasingly desert him. With Jack Smith's background and extensive prosecutorial experience, he can no doubt outrun the Trump legal 'machine'.
Garland is in a no-win situation given Trump’s announcement so Smith’s appointment makes sense. The documents case is filled with piffle and the 1/6 investigation was stillborn as the result of Congress’ hurried and botched impeachment so what’s left: making a record. Hope Smith’s up to the task.
Steven, I really enjoy reading your newsletters and I learn a lot without watching too much television -which seems to be more sensationalized and confusing as times goes on. Also, my goal is to avoid seeing or hearing tfg for the next two years (a losing battle for the most part) after the stress of the mid-terms and just too many years of crazy-ville...and now another run for president? How can tfg even be out running around and playing golf after all he has done? I feel that Garland sat on this for months too long....the insurrection was almost two years ago! Missing classified documents? This is a nightmare. Thank you, again. You are a light in my life, even if tfg and the GOP is not!
The delay around prosecuting Trump's wrong-doing is definitely perplexing. He has always been-larger- than-life and disruptively abrasive. Politically incorrect at every turn, Trump managed to leap through flaming hoops of criminality, and avoid getting burned. Trump is America's MAGA White collar perpetrator of wrong-doing, and as one journalist described him, 'a wolf in wolves' clothing.' He has always show us who he is. His known penchant for seeking revenge is disturbing, as is his vested connections to America's adversaries, which should alarm everyone. The fact that someone as morally, educationally and ethically bankrupt as Trump could win the Republican nomination, let alone ascend to Office of President, indicates the GOP's lack of an integrity compass and backbone. Because so many Republicans acquiesced under Trump's Fool's Gold spell, indicates they fear the loss of their political standing, above all else, even the survival of democracy. Likewise it is a dire reflection on the mores and abject gullibility of those Americans who bought into Trump's alternative facts universe. Without supportive GOP members and his blinded-by-the-light supporters, #45 could not have succeeded. It is more than time to clean up Dodge. Independent prosecutor Jack Smith has faced off against major offenders. He has the chops to take on the dark side, and effect justice. What we need to do is believe in him.
At first I felt Merrick Garland was punting and frankly fearful of the blowback. However, thinking about it clearly the last few days, he removed the the politics so he could continue his work on everything else the DOJ has to do which is a lot. Also, I do remember being optimistic when Mueller was appointed but in the end he was hamstrung by DOJ, this counsel is not which is a big difference and I think it’s beneficial that this counsel has spent considerable time outside of the country. Let’s go!
Yes many say they are staying to fight the forces for good (over evil)? Yes the us vs them mentally is alive but not well in that context or any context. I’ve also joined Tribel and share your content there. Happy Thanksgiving 🍁 🙏🏾❤️
It never ceases to amaze me how such a whiner, perpetual victim, transparently and self-centered narcissist, has any popularity whatsoever. Do any of us really like a whiner, a perpetual victim, a bully, a narcissist? Not I. But somehow this whiner/victim/loser is popular.
Or, is he? Is it possible that whiner, crybaby, 70+year old man who wears makeup and who bleaches his hair, who steals from others, who assaults women, who doesn't pay his bills, was elevated/created/animated in large part by favorable media coverage? Americans do love to valorize celebrities, after all.
Ezra Klein, in his interview with Rachel Maddow (https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/14/podcasts/ezra-klein-interviews-rachel-maddow.html) suggests that Trump's real advantage was not his personality or policies or practices, but his ability to manipulate/dominate the nightly news cycle for every major news outlet due to his exploitation of "lazy journalism", ie major media outlets' lack of staff writers, researchers, and editors, and their common practice of ricocheting stories others wrote as found on Twitter. In America we love heroes and anti-heroes. They make news, whatever they do.
#Slackto-journalism.
As for Jack Smith, I worry that he will be slotted into the hero/anti-hero media paradigm, we'll get updates and background pieces about how this rugged badass is playing 3d chess against Trump and his team playing Parcheesi, and in the end: nada.
Wake me up when Trump is charged with *something*, just like any of us would have been. Until then, it's just the same old same old.
You have said it all. There is naught left to say. So, not to be frivolous. I submit my imitation Thomas Nast caricatures:
On a rainy day,Tom Brady #1 quarterback sailing a football with the head of trump on its front to Jerry Rice, #1 receiver, he misses the catch and it falls into the mud head first.
Or
"Dirty Jack" stands above a crouching Mr. Legerdemain, his one shaking arm extending skyward, his alligator eyes wide and unbelieving, his mouth closed for once. Jack waves a card at him that says Go directly to jail, Do not pass a collection plate, and then, "Dirty Jack" says, "You've got to ask yourself one question: "Do I feel lucky?" Well, do you, punk?"
Aside from indictment, there is a federal law that should be used to halt Trump’s desire to run again. Whatever way it can be done, Garland needs it to be done. Avoiding Trump’s accountability only assures Americans that there are some people above the law. And without that, democracy will die.
Trumpists will think what they’re going to think. But middle of the road Republicans, and independents, will see that this is an apolitical procedure and ignore what tfg says.
My thinking is that the necessary evidence is already amassed, and Smith will move in, organize it, and prosecute, without delay.
I understand your point about Merrick Garland punting. However, we know he has acted deliberately and carefully throughout this process to try to avoid the political backlash which will certainly happen, and already has happened from 45 himself, and will probably happen from the new House of Representatives, out of the equation. I think Garland really didn't have much choice. The resume of Jack Smith is very strong; and his statement after his appointment was very strong. Although there will be some delay as he gets up to speed because of all of the data that DOJ has amassed on the 2 cases, and possibly more data to be garnered from the House Select Committee (if any of that has not already been passed to the DOJ), I think this cushion of taking it out of Biden's government had to be done and is the better path forward, in spite of how the Mueller special counsel experiment didn't go so well. As has been widely mentioned in the news, 45 doesn't control this special counsel because 45 is not president. He will rant and rant and rant; and his cult people will rant and rant and rant with him; and the spineless members of his political party, who don't want to do anything to upset 45, will rant and rant and rant also. However, I feel that Jack Smith is the person for the job, for all of the reasons I mentioned above; and I am hopeful that this next phase of this prolonged investigation of 2 very probable indictable crimes by 45 will proceed professionally, expeditiously, and will result in the indictment that I believe is truly warranted. We are all equal under the law in America. Thank you for this thoughtful forum for expressing our views.
Justice delayed is justice denied.
And so it so obviously seems with Trump's continued freedom. Failure to arrest Trump (there have been three good opportunities inmyhumbleopinion) has allowed him to continue to spread his toxicity. And now with Musk, he has help. And it's all disgusting.
But with the appointment of Jack Smith as Special Counsel there is a ray of hope...again. We the People are tired and exhausted. We want a return to normalcy without the chaos and confrontations of our political discourse. With that kind of discord, promoted and perpetuated by the so-called Republican party, there doesn't seem to be a light at the end of THAT tunnel.
After a few days of thinking about it and reading various articles about it, I believe AG Garlands reasoning is sound. The appearance of political indictments against Trump will be effective in the Court of Public opinion. So, Jack Smith makes sense despite the fact that we really really need for Trump to be arrested (like yesterday!) and publicly neutered.
Joyce White Vance fills in a few blanks for us and tells us why she's encouraged.
https://open.substack.com/pub/joycevance/p/the-week-ahead-e89?r=4lk50&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email
These are the facts we actually know as opposed to what is speculated.
DOJ had orangehead's signature on the check that sent Cohen to prison, and they did nothing. That is a fact.
DOJ had the 10 Counts of Obstruction Mueller outlined in 200 page detail (investigation bought and paid for by the American taxpayer) and said could be prosecuted the minute orangehead left office, and yet, Garland has declined to prosecute and the statutes on at least 8 of the 10 counts have expired. That is a fact.
DOJ "negotiated" with a known serial criminal for 6 months (in addition to NARA doing the same for a full year) over the return of the thousands of government docs, including hundreds of Top Secret docs, that were left unsecured at a hotel in South Florida. These TS/SCI docs shouldn't have been left unsecured for 6 seconds, let alone 6 months. Further, DOJ did nothing for an additional 6 months after being notified about it. That is a fact.
Where are the top secret docs that are still missing? - Has the suspect even been brought in for formal questioning about it? It's illegal to lie to the FBI ...as opposed to allowing him to spew nonsense on TV all day for months on end about the FBI planting the evidence or his magical declassification process, fermenting further dissent and inciting further violence by his cult (remember the FBI office that got shot up after the raid?).
Based on the facts we actually know, a healthy dose of skepticism is very much in order.
Thank you. I know the facts you listed are real. The questions you raise about the classified docs have always bothered me as well. I’ve been unable to think of any reason why the docs were left at Mar a Lago for an entire year and it alarms me. We’ve been told lives were at stake if the info contained in those documents got into the wrong hands. If that’s true, it has been true for over a year, yet no one did a thing about it. That doesn’t make any sense, yet no one has addressed it. It seems to me the DOJ has to move forward assuming the info DID get into the wrong hands.
The idea that Trump took the docs for any other reason than to sell the info to the highest bidder is absurd. It’s so absurd that any serious person, whether they are knowledgeable about the law & classified documents or not, should have been laughed out of the room for saying it. But all I’ve seen are people very pointedly saying it with a straight face. THAT alarms me as well. I get the “innocent until proven guilty” issue, nevertheless it strains credulity.
The obstruction of justice counts found by Mueller haven’t been addressed at all as far as the public is concerned. We’ve heard nothing about the other classified documents we’ve been told are still missing. As several people have pointed out, Ethel & Julius Rosenberg were executed for far less than what we know beyond a shadow of doubt Trump has done. That’s alarming as well.
Based on all of the above and based on the fact that Trump is still living his life without any consequences 2 years after conspiring to overthrow the government via a violent, deadly insurrection, I can only conclude there’s a LOT more going on than we realize and that alarms me more than anything I’ve written here. There’ve been a lot of plausible excuses offered by a lot of people at this point, but when you look at all of the facts from a great distance, none of it makes any sense.
It makes sense if Garland is a Republican and his job is to protect Republicans not prosecute...
Here is my take. Few people want to take on Trump, as the result is a barrage of personal insults, threats and potentially dangerous consequences (think: Michigan Governor Gretchen Witmer's planned abduction by Trump-supporting domestic terrorists). Trump wields his poisonous rhetoric against one and all, perceived friend and foe alike, with the resilience of an angry Fire Ant. When Trump declared his intent to run again, it was a prime opportunity to designate an independent prosecutor, outside of the DOJ. It negated one of Trump's favourite claims that this prosecution is another witch hunt by the 'radical Left'. Trump appears increasingly vulnerable, as family members and GOP increasingly desert him. With Jack Smith's background and extensive prosecutorial experience, he can no doubt outrun the Trump legal 'machine'.
Garland is in a no-win situation given Trump’s announcement so Smith’s appointment makes sense. The documents case is filled with piffle and the 1/6 investigation was stillborn as the result of Congress’ hurried and botched impeachment so what’s left: making a record. Hope Smith’s up to the task.
Hurried and botched?
“We have met the enemy and he is us.” Repeat as required.
We need another Pogo by Walt Kelly. Political satire is brilliant.
Steven, I really enjoy reading your newsletters and I learn a lot without watching too much television -which seems to be more sensationalized and confusing as times goes on. Also, my goal is to avoid seeing or hearing tfg for the next two years (a losing battle for the most part) after the stress of the mid-terms and just too many years of crazy-ville...and now another run for president? How can tfg even be out running around and playing golf after all he has done? I feel that Garland sat on this for months too long....the insurrection was almost two years ago! Missing classified documents? This is a nightmare. Thank you, again. You are a light in my life, even if tfg and the GOP is not!
The delay around prosecuting Trump's wrong-doing is definitely perplexing. He has always been-larger- than-life and disruptively abrasive. Politically incorrect at every turn, Trump managed to leap through flaming hoops of criminality, and avoid getting burned. Trump is America's MAGA White collar perpetrator of wrong-doing, and as one journalist described him, 'a wolf in wolves' clothing.' He has always show us who he is. His known penchant for seeking revenge is disturbing, as is his vested connections to America's adversaries, which should alarm everyone. The fact that someone as morally, educationally and ethically bankrupt as Trump could win the Republican nomination, let alone ascend to Office of President, indicates the GOP's lack of an integrity compass and backbone. Because so many Republicans acquiesced under Trump's Fool's Gold spell, indicates they fear the loss of their political standing, above all else, even the survival of democracy. Likewise it is a dire reflection on the mores and abject gullibility of those Americans who bought into Trump's alternative facts universe. Without supportive GOP members and his blinded-by-the-light supporters, #45 could not have succeeded. It is more than time to clean up Dodge. Independent prosecutor Jack Smith has faced off against major offenders. He has the chops to take on the dark side, and effect justice. What we need to do is believe in him.
At first I felt Merrick Garland was punting and frankly fearful of the blowback. However, thinking about it clearly the last few days, he removed the the politics so he could continue his work on everything else the DOJ has to do which is a lot. Also, I do remember being optimistic when Mueller was appointed but in the end he was hamstrung by DOJ, this counsel is not which is a big difference and I think it’s beneficial that this counsel has spent considerable time outside of the country. Let’s go!
There’s something about Jack Smith - bad ass; fearless Trump Hunter; and there for we, the people.
Question for you Steven- will you or won’t you- leave Twitter? Thanks for answering ❤️
I’m staying at least for now. I resist the idea of being driven off and recognize there are still so many good people there.
Yes many say they are staying to fight the forces for good (over evil)? Yes the us vs them mentally is alive but not well in that context or any context. I’ve also joined Tribel and share your content there. Happy Thanksgiving 🍁 🙏🏾❤️
My thinking is the same. Thanks for sharing.
And Happy Thanksgiving to you.
My pleasure!
It never ceases to amaze me how such a whiner, perpetual victim, transparently and self-centered narcissist, has any popularity whatsoever. Do any of us really like a whiner, a perpetual victim, a bully, a narcissist? Not I. But somehow this whiner/victim/loser is popular.
Or, is he? Is it possible that whiner, crybaby, 70+year old man who wears makeup and who bleaches his hair, who steals from others, who assaults women, who doesn't pay his bills, was elevated/created/animated in large part by favorable media coverage? Americans do love to valorize celebrities, after all.
Ezra Klein, in his interview with Rachel Maddow (https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/14/podcasts/ezra-klein-interviews-rachel-maddow.html) suggests that Trump's real advantage was not his personality or policies or practices, but his ability to manipulate/dominate the nightly news cycle for every major news outlet due to his exploitation of "lazy journalism", ie major media outlets' lack of staff writers, researchers, and editors, and their common practice of ricocheting stories others wrote as found on Twitter. In America we love heroes and anti-heroes. They make news, whatever they do.
#Slackto-journalism.
As for Jack Smith, I worry that he will be slotted into the hero/anti-hero media paradigm, we'll get updates and background pieces about how this rugged badass is playing 3d chess against Trump and his team playing Parcheesi, and in the end: nada.
Wake me up when Trump is charged with *something*, just like any of us would have been. Until then, it's just the same old same old.
Perhaps E. Jean Carroll’s rape suit against tfg will be successful. Starts mid January. I, for one, don’t care WHAT he goes to jail for.
You have said it all. There is naught left to say. So, not to be frivolous. I submit my imitation Thomas Nast caricatures:
On a rainy day,Tom Brady #1 quarterback sailing a football with the head of trump on its front to Jerry Rice, #1 receiver, he misses the catch and it falls into the mud head first.
Or
"Dirty Jack" stands above a crouching Mr. Legerdemain, his one shaking arm extending skyward, his alligator eyes wide and unbelieving, his mouth closed for once. Jack waves a card at him that says Go directly to jail, Do not pass a collection plate, and then, "Dirty Jack" says, "You've got to ask yourself one question: "Do I feel lucky?" Well, do you, punk?"
Aside from indictment, there is a federal law that should be used to halt Trump’s desire to run again. Whatever way it can be done, Garland needs it to be done. Avoiding Trump’s accountability only assures Americans that there are some people above the law. And without that, democracy will die.
Trumpists will think what they’re going to think. But middle of the road Republicans, and independents, will see that this is an apolitical procedure and ignore what tfg says.
My thinking is that the necessary evidence is already amassed, and Smith will move in, organize it, and prosecute, without delay.
I hope so.