Trump may be sorry he went out of his way to get James Comey indicted. Comey could probably get the indictment thrown out of court, but he seems up for a fight and wants a trial. He’s getting legal counseling from Patrick Fitzgerald. Way back when Fitzgerald got Scooter Libby convicted, and he was involved in taking down Rod Blagojevich. So Fitzgerald is a guy who’s not afraid of a high-profile fight.
Quinta Jurecic writes for The Atlantic,
The Justice Department should never have brought such an astoundingly shoddy case. The decision to do so, under intense pressure from the president to harass his old enemy, is an indication of how thoroughly Trump has been able to corrupt the department.Trump seemingly wanted the Justice Department to find something, anything, to pin on the former FBI director, and he doesn’t appear to care much about the actual charges—or even whether the case holds up in court. “JUSTICE MUST BE SERVED, NOW!!!” he posted last weekend, later telling reporters that prosecutors “have to act fast.” The 2020 congressional testimony will edge past the five-year statute-of-limitations mark next Tuesday. In any other political moment, this would be obviously impeachable conduct.
Trump is committing impeachable offenses just about daily. I’m not sure he understands clearly what’s impeachable and what isn’t, of course.
By every appearance, this is an astonishingly weak case. The charges focus on an exchange between Comey and Republican Senator Ted Cruz during Comey’s 2020 testimony, where Cruz quizzed Comey on whether he had ever authorized any leaks to the press about the FBI’s investigations into Trump or Hillary Clinton in 2016. Comey said he had not. The indictment now alleges that he was lying. The document is sufficiently terse that it’s difficult to say what specific lie the grand jury had in mind—but as my former colleagues Anna Bower and Benjamin Wittes have examined in Lawfare, none of the possibilities makes very much sense.
The Lawfare article is very much worth reading, too. The charge in the indictment is that Comey lied to Congress. But all the possible theories behind this charge fall apart on examination.
The New York Times framed this perfectly.
An inexperienced prosecutor loyal to President Trump, in the job for less than a week, filed criminal charges against one of her boss’s most-reviled opponents. She did so not only at Mr. Trump’s direct command, but also against the urging of both her own subordinates and her predecessor, who had just been fired for raising concerns that there was insufficient evidence to indict.
And, of course, Trump has a list of people he wants indicted. Letitia James no doubt will be next. She’s not someone I’d mess with, either. See also The Comey indictment is so weak even some in right-wing media aren’t buying it.
Meanwhile, as the cost of just about everything goes up, how much does even the Trump base care about what happens to Comey? Further, if Trump is trying to project strength and power, how strong is he going to look if his cases all lose? If the trial makes him look as petty and stupid as he is?
Something potentially more ominous is happening with the Department of Defense/War/Whatever. This is WaPo:
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered hundreds of generals to travel on short notice from around the world to hear him make a short speech on military standards and the “warrior ethos,” multiple people familiar with the event told The Washington Post.
Hegseth’s orders, which were sent earlier this week to senior generals and admirals worldwide, require anyone in a command position with the rank of one-star general or rear admiral and above, as well as their senior enlisted leaders, to be at Marine Corps University at Quantico, Virginia, on Tuesday.
What the bleep? Is that even safe? There is speculation he’s going to fire them all or deliver a lecture on the “warrior ethos” Or maybe he’s going to require them to swear an oath to Trump. This is nuts.
I spend most of yesterday writing a column about a new Texas law that allows prayers in schools. The law does not explicitly stipulate Christian prayers, but Texas AG Ken Paxton keeps saying the quiet part out loud. And I expect the law will have a lot of messy unintended consequences.
See Timothy Snyder, Hegseth puts us all at risk
Neither Snyder nor I know exactly what will happen. But all fascist regimes eventually come down to What Will the Military Do? Will they back the fascists, to commit illegal acts abroad or domestically? Fascism tries to demolish anything that binds it: the courts, the legislatures, the journalists, the artists and comedians, and eventually has to come up against the military. This test is either here or is almost here.
If some kind of loyalty oath is demanded – superceding the one taken to uphold the Constitution – loyal to Trump or lose your job, I expect some will "retire", some will be willing subjects, but a huge number may feign loyalty while working to undermine this regime. It's a big test, unless Hegseth is just performing trivial nonsense that has no impact on reality.
The whole thing may backfire. If Hegseth pushes a loyalty oath, these officers all saw the same thing, and not a few of them may decide that a military coup is in order. Hegseth's meeting may crystallize what many of them have already been thinking.
Wy am I thinking about the "Massacre of the Mamlukes"
Best analysis I've seen of this was on FAUX, dude sums it up pretty well. Bondo is charging Comey based on a question Ted Cruise asked in a hearing. Problem is the question Cruise asked was not factual, these fucking amateurs have no clue.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/fox-analyst-andrew-mccarthy-gives-anchor-maria-bartiromo-brutal-reality-check-on-comey-case/
Going OT: Kimell is back. You knew that. Sinclair has been brought to heel by ABC/Disney. Sinnclair had decided to drop Kimell – I heard (unconfirmed) that ABC threatened not to provide Sinclair with College Football games.
So Trump is denied even the slight victory of eliminating Kimell in 25% of households. This is not ABC/Disney striking for the middle ground. I'd still like for Disney to talk 1st Amendment, but this is a sweet victory.
On the Comey indictment, I'd like it to go to trial, though there may be grounds for a judge to dismiss. But that's if Comey asks for a dismissal. I hope he does NOT and that he takes it to trial. There may not be many DOJ lawyers who want their name on this, which may also be an embarrassment for Pam. The "inexperienced prosecutor" who railroaded this at Trump's direction may wind up prosecuting it – it will be his/her/its first prosecution.
IMO, Trump thinks he will be able to tweet this case to a conviction singlehandedly. My guess is that Fitzgerald will ask for and get a gag order that covers everyone in the Executive Branch. And get it. And Trump will ignore it. Which, long before the trial, will create a STFU order directed at Trump. And this will create pre-trial headlines that benefit Comey and highlight that this is not a trial, it's a personal vendetta.
Whisky Pete (IMO) is lining up the military to be a domestic police force for Trump. This will have to be settled, sooner or later, and Trump/Petey want to know now if the Generals will murder US civililians if they are so ordered. What I wonder is of the Generals/Admirals are conferring with each other now to make plans how they will respond to unconstitutional instructions.
On the Comey indictment, I'd like it to go to trial, though there may be grounds for a judge to dismiss. But that's if Comey asks for a dismissal. I hope he does NOT and that he takes it to trial. There may not be many DOJ lawyers who want their name on this, which may also be an embarrassment for Pam. The "inexperienced prosecutor" who railroaded this at Trump's direction may wind up prosecuting it – it will be his/her/its first prosecution.
IMO, Trump thinks he will be able to tweet this case to a conviction singlehandedly. My guess is that Fitzgerald will ask for and get a gag order that covers everyone in the Executive Branch. And get it. And Trump will ignore it. Which, long before the trial, will create a STFU order directed at Trump. And this will create pre-trial headlines that benefit Comey and highlight that this is not a trial, it's a personal vendetta.
Does Trump regret that he will lose the case and possibly set the stage (or court) to rule on whether Russians interfered in the election. No, Trump is too stupid to realize that he will not win the case. And this follows losing the execution of Kimell. It may well be followed by an indictment and loss on court over James in NY. There's a trend and pattern here that even MAGA is gonna hate.
Whisky Pete (IMO) is lining up the military to be a domestic police force for Trump. This will have to be settled, sooner or later, and Trump/Petey want to know now if the Generals will murder US civililians if they are so ordered. What I wonder is of the Generals/Admirals are conferring with each other now to make plans how they will respond to unconstitutional instructions.
"Whisky Pete (IMO) is lining up the military to be a domestic police force for Trump."
That is what I initially thought. Then I read this morning this:
World War III which adds another possibility.
Will a subsequent draft be the cause of an epidemic of "bone spurs"?
Remember that scene from Star Trek Into Darkness, where the captains and senior officers of all Starfleet ships in the area were called into one room to discuss the threat of John Harrison (aka Khan Noonien Singh) after he bombed the London archive? How Harrison fired on the room from a hovering ship once they had all gathered? How that act took out much of Starfleet's best, including Christopher Pike? That scene comes to mind, strangely enough, whenever Whiskey Pete Kegsbreath's little upcoming stunt is mentioned. Can't imagine why…
How do you get your state to the bottom rank of all the states in education. Do what Oklahoma did. It went from a 17 rank to a 50 pushing out Mississippi and contender Missouri for the spot. News has it the got rid of the State Superintendent who achieved this goal recently.
It was reported that attempts to indoctrinate students was met with fierce opposition from class participants who lacked knowledge but insisted on dominating the class with the few cherry-picked things they knew. Imagine that? The fundamentalists took over. That sounds like a national problem universal to states who want to put God in the classroom and end up with a god-awful mess. It is how Israel got to be a pariah state by the judgement of many other states it seems. A dubious achievement also. Texas has quite a few of those credentials already. Now that Oklahoma has the biggest one it wants it now more than ever. Poor Mississippi may never have a chance again.
(The Associated Press)
"Or maybe he’s going to require them to swear an oath to Trump."
The Third Reich did just that. They called all the generals in to forget their original oath to serve and swear allegiance to Hitler.
It might also be noted that they might be briefed on plans to go to war with Venezuela. Anything to detract from the Epstein files, I suppose.
Did you see Hegseth's reply to that theory?
https://bsky.app/profile/junlper.beer/post/3lzrf7v4kzs27
Whatever Hoghead is up to it is more than likely illegal, why else would he demand to see them all in person? I'm sure all phones, recording devices, etc will be checked at the door so there will be no proof of what is said. I would guess it would be a loyalty oath to diaper don or hand in your resignation by 5pm.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K3b6SGoN6dA
Tsk tsk, you might be embarrassed to find out Hoghead had a good reason to call this secret meeting, like to pull names for who is going to be who's Secret Santa this year. You prejudge. And what do you get when your prediction comes true and it was about nonsense or illegal stuff? No one will even notice.
I like what Angry Male Vet says, re Hegseth's meeting.
Yeah, I'm very curious – and worried – about Hegseth's Big Meeting. As many have noted, it's insanely stupid from a security standpoint.
I'm betting that Trump will be there to make a 'beautiful' speech to the Brass. Hegseth is probably just smart enough to know that the Military has no real respect – or even fear – of him, so he wouldn't have called the meeting on his own.
But what will Trump say to them? The possibilities are even broader than those set out in Snyder's article. They range from Trump just wanting to flout his power, to announcing WWIII. IMO, the most likely scenarios are…
– a pep-talk about Culture War issues (Army for Manly Men only)?
– a loyalty check, whether explicit loyalty oaths to Trump, or just overt displays of submission?
– announcing an actual military plan, like attacking Venezuela?
– announcing details of domestic (political) use of US military forces?
– announcing some general shift in US military policy (refocus on Western Hemisphere??? Plz pardon my optimism)
In any case, what Trump says there won't stay secret for long. Most Pentagon types have pet reporters, so there will be leaks.
I would also expect to see 5-25% of the attending Brass to be fired in the next few weeks. In a more perfect world, that would be good news; but in this case, I expect Trump to fire the most responsible and keep the most corrupt.