Trump’s fake justice department is going after John Bolton, to stop the publication of his book “The Room Where It Happened: A White House Memoir
Important subplot: Trump says he officially classifies all conversations he ever had with Bolton about anything. Therefore, if Bolton reveals any conversation at all, that he is a criminal, and will hopefully be prosecuted.
This is what dictators do. They play with the law. Trump, as dictator, could just declare Bolton to be a traitor and have him arrested and sent to Gitmo (maybe Trump doesn’t know he has that power?) but he plays around with it like this, makes the point more clear: Anyone who interferes with Trump’s power is in trouble.
And that, dear fellow voter, includes you.
Details here.
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I wonder if the ~40% of the American public who have managed to avoid encountering the abundant evidence that Trump is a criminal and would-be dictator, or avoided acknowledging the validity of that evidence if they have encountered it, will ever catch on to the fact that what there was of U. S. democracy has “gone way, like magic” in (nearly) the words of the new “strong man” as he sees himself? Or will they, not notice, gladly accept, or reluctantly resign themselves to the Imperial rule of Donald the First?
Look at the steps already taken or even now being taken in Republican-controlled states to purge the voting rolls, limit or prohibit vote-by-mail, shorten voting hours, and decrease the number of polling places in areas of Democratic voters. Now look forward to the November elections, after the ranks of Democrats have been thinned even further by the COVID-19 (many of whom are black or brown and at higher-risk), and think about what group of people is more likely to turn out:
1) those who are fervid believers in wonderfulness (or his utility to enabling hard right-wing “values” to prevail) and believe that the danger from the coronavirus has been greatly exaggerated by the “liberal media” and/or “deep state”, and the numbers of infected are actually going down, or
2) those who believe the medical experts and realize that they are putting their own life and likely the lives of their loved ones in real danger (and losing a day’s pay) by risking infection standing in long lines to vote in crowded venues — and even then may not be able to cast their vote (Remember Georgia?).
The thing that strikes me is that Trump is the very thing that the 2nd Amendment adherents have always railed against – authoritarian government curbing people’s rights to vote and to do their own thing in freedom and safety – but because the wolf dresses in sheep’s clothing the flock hasn’t noticed in the slightest.
This has all the hallmarks of a NON-routine POTUS tirade, replete as it is with tantrums and lawsuits galore. As someone who in a past life was very familiar on the inside with national security clearances, etc., I will say that Bolton is on pretty thin ice. The government’s review of the allegedly classified content of Bolton’s manuscript was never formally concluded – and as a lawyer, Bolton must know that – while now, the Justice Department’s emergency suit to the federal court is supported by damning testimony from all the higher-ups (read: Trump stooges) in the national intelligence community.
So although I hope I’m wrong, I estimate a 50% chance that an emergency injunction against public release will indeed be issued – that testimony of the director of the NSA and others will not be ignored by some courageous federal judge – however, this poses some VERY interesting issues.
Not only are warehouses already stocked (and pre-orders piling up with all retailers), but countless copies of the book are “out there” – many major news outlets etc. already have copies. So at the very least, if the book’s release is banned, expect to see millions of samizdat copies appear like dandelions on the lawn after a nighttime rain. And thus, everyone who wants want will get one. Hmmm. Will Trump’s federal goon squad (ICE? FBI?) bash down our doors and confiscate our books? Things like that have happened before …
This has all the hallmarks of a NON-routine POTUS tirade, despite being replete with typical tantrums and lawsuits galore. As someone who in a past life was very familiar on the inside with national security clearances, etc., I will say that Bolton is on pretty thin ice. The government’s review of the allegedly classified content of Bolton’s manuscript was never formally concluded – and as a lawyer, Bolton must certainly know this – while now, the Justice Department’s emergency suit to the federal court is supported by damning testimony from all the higher-ups (read: Trump stooges) in the national intelligence community.
So although I hope I’m wrong, I estimate a 50% chance that an emergency injunction against public release will indeed be issued – that testimony of the director of the NSA and others will not be ignored by some courageous federal judge – however, this poses some VERY interesting issues.
Not only are warehouses already stocked (and pre-orders piling up with all retailers), but countless copies of the book are “out there” – many major news outlets etc. already have copies. So at the very least, if the book’s release is banned, expect to see millions of samizdat copies appear like dandelions on the lawn after a nighttime rain. And thus, everyone who wants one will get one. Hmmm. Will Trump’s federal goon squad (ICE? FBI?) bash down our doors and confiscate our books? Things like that have happened before …
He has also said that the book is full of lies. Can lies be classified information?
What would be the consequences of such an injunction not being followed?
Anybody who has read any excerpts from the Bolton book are jailed. /sarc off
The Republicans in the Senate were never serious about there being no first-person testimony about Trump’s violation of the Constitution. That was a sham movable goalpost. Their House comrades had already given it a long trial run: “You don’t have or didn’t do this.” The when “this” was produced/or done, “this” became something else.
If Bolton had testified at the Senate mock trial, why wouldn’t the same senators just have said what they are saying now: “He’s just a disgruntled, fired employee trying to get back at the President.”? Or just have said what they said when they voted not to remove him: “What the President did wasn’t enough to warrant his removal.”?
What I’m worried about is that Trump and the Senate Republicans showed conclusively that the checks and balances the Constitution supposedly provides and the oath to preserve and protect it comprise only a paper tiger when confronted with a self-absorbed Chief Executive who acknowledges no boundaries and a majority of servile and/or cowardly senators to whom party loyalty (and self-interest) outweigh any other considerations.* The Constitution may need amending and certainly the Congress must adopt enforceable rules with automatic “teeth” regarding oaths, subpoenas, rightful presidential disclosures, etc. Right now, Trump just ignores them and absolutely nothing happens to him as a result.
* People who know them say they are terrified of the present-day base of the Republican Party which Trump has attracted, terrified of having no future as a Republican if they are or seem disloyal to him, and this of course means that they would have to earn a living elsewise and likely take a drop in status, power, and remuneration.