Having once been threatened with a SLAPP suit (which is a lot less than some of my better-known Freethought Blogs colleagues have had to deal with), I appreciate the hell out of this. Contains swears. Lots and lots of swears. And rude gestures.
For once, the YouTube comments are pretty great, too.
That’s effectively what the president’s lawyers are arguing: President Trump is above the law. Here’s a quote from the letter:
It remains our position that the President’s actions here, by virtue of his position as the chief law enforcement officer, could neither constitutionally nor legally constitute obstruction because that would amount to him obstructing himself, and that he could, if he wished, terminate the inquiry, or even exercise his power to pardon if he so desired.
Vote.
I’m pretty annoyed with CNN these days. I have called them “recklessly irresponsible” for failing to apply the slightest skepticism to the administration’s absurd claims of sonic weapon attacks in Cuba. Then there’s their website’s autoplay videos, which shrink, move to the sidebar, and keep playing if you scroll past them. Because obviously, when you scroll past a video to read a story, what you want is to see the video.
But Brianna Keilar nails it in this interview with Georgia State Senator Michael Williams:
“Where are you getting that…if you’re making that argument, shouldn’t you have your facts straight?” Brianna Keilar presses Georgia State Senator Michael Williams on his suggestion that Delta offers discounts to Planned Parenthood https://t.co/iaF9x9bzvj https://t.co/bLlxbEqPce
— CNN Newsroom (@CNNnewsroom) February 27, 2018
That’s right, she asked the exact question I’ve criticized CNN for failing to ask: how do you know that? And Senator Williams dances a beautiful little jig in his effort to dodge her question.
“The president cannot obstruct justice because he is the chief law enforcement officer under (the Constitution’s Article II) and has every right to express his view of any case,” [President Trump’s personal lawyer John] Dowd told NBC News Monday.
Damn, that sounds familiar…oh yeah:
I’m looking forward to the next installment:
— warrior cop (@wyatt_privilege) November 15, 2017
Donald Trump’s accusations of ‘fake news’ aren’t just disingenuous, they’re cowardly. Some of those accusations are specific, and those are usually smacked down, hard:
fact-checked as false repeatedly since 2016 –> https://t.co/eBaBgK3xmF https://t.co/HA3jP58qZl
— Glenn Kessler (@GlennKesslerWP) October 19, 2017
Those aren’t the ones I’m talking about. At least, in those cases, he’s making a claim that can be fact-checked. More often, it’s just poisoning the well against (essentially all) legitimate news organizations:
Somebody with aptitude and conviction should buy the FAKE NEWS and failing @nytimes and either run it correctly or let it fold with dignity!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 29, 2017
Local elections matter.
Just because the Presidency isn’t up for grabs this year doesn’t mean you shouldn’t vote. Here in Atlanta, we’re electing a new mayor, several city council members, board of education members, and county commissioners. The mayoral race is national news.
.@POTUS: “The Republican Party is very, very unified.” https://t.co/vBPARhRl5cpic.twitter.com/L3jnCf5tpY
— Fox News (@FoxNews) October 16, 2017
My list of Republican criticisms of President (in a few cases candidate) Trump just got a bit longer. David Weigel at the Washington Post has some zingers from members of the “Meeting of the Concerned”:
Last week, I asked, “What do all these quotes have in common?“, including things like “Fucking moron,” “Just pathetic,” and “completely unhinged.” Well, no one guessed, so here’s a hint:
.@POTUS: “The Republican Party is very, very unified.” https://t.co/vBPARhRl5cpic.twitter.com/L3jnCf5tpY
— Fox News (@FoxNews) October 16, 2017