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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsBiden cleaning up Garlands mess.
In the quest to remain so un-political hence becoming ultimately political, Garland managed to screw every pooch.
Biden having to pardon his son because that spineless useless AG appointed a creepy Republican special prosecutor to investigate and prosecute hunter biden.
My level of dislike for this man has no bounds.
Paladin
(28,901 posts)dchill
(40,662 posts)The Unmitigated Gall
(4,584 posts)History will not be kind.
Scrivener7
(53,050 posts)And Garland defenders insisting that everything went just as it was supposed to.
Mr.WeRP
(644 posts)I can hear their talking points ringing loudly in the empty halls of democracy.
Scrivener7
(53,050 posts)ancianita
(38,787 posts)Last edited Mon Dec 2, 2024, 04:26 PM - Edit history (2)
I had read Woodward's book prior to Nov 5 this year, and at that time realized from
pp 310 onward that Biden had been agonizing over the letter-of-the law approach that Garland took toward Hunter. I learned what a devastating emotional toll it took on Joe Biden.
But my read of Garland was before Harris lost. Now, looking back at Woodward's forebodings about a Harris loss, I admit that I trusted Garland with the facts of the Trump case by assuming a Harris win.
Now that she has lost for reasons Woodward quoted from Biden's circle, I see that Joe Biden's pardon of his prodigal son was done with great integrity as much as with prayer and love.
I gave the facts about Garland's work. I was accurate.
Given Joe Biden's statement on why he changed his mind, I've come to realize that Garland did not do what he did without at least suspecting its impact on the president who nominated him.
I read that Joe has implied that Merrick Garland has shown neither fear nor favor mostly when the favor has trended toward the continued weakening of the Biden that nominated and the party that confirmed him.
I have always said to look to what Joe Biden says and does as our standard. And so Joe is now, and as far as I'm concerned, will be our standard to his dying day.
Because Joe Biden tells the truth, I now see more of the truth about Garland.
When Biden says "I never should have picked Garland," I say the same.
I WAS WRONG. I AM SORRY.
brush
(57,948 posts)I don't care whatever else he did or didn't do, by not getting the criminal jailed who tried to overthrow the government, that is his greatest failure.
We all saw it on TV and by not getting trump jailed, Garland paved the way for the traitor to run for president, get immunity for official acts from the corrupt SCOTUS 6, get elected and now the criminal bastard is appointing others like him to prepare his dictatorship that is about to dominate and plunge the nation into upheaval.
Again, we all saw the crimes on TV, all the evidence Garland needed to convict way before the SCOTUS 6 got involved, and he failed spectacularly.
Anyone with clear eyes and judgment could see that, I'm pretty sure Joe Biden did too and ran out of patience once Garland failed...and then appointed that rethug special prosecutor to go after his son and break a previously agreed upon plea that was to resolve Hunter's case.
We all saw it on TV.
and the get elected
ShazzieB
(18,867 posts)To be honest, I don't think I really defended Garland so much as arguing for patience and pointing out that none of us really had any way of knowing what was going on behind the scenes at the DOJ. And I quit even doing that a while back.
I still think some people were awfully quick to start dumping on Garland back when he had only been in office for a few months, but subsequent events have done little to justify the hopes I had in him at the time.
The one thing he did that I approve of was appointing Jack Smith, but he waited way too damned long to do that. If Smith had had enough time, I think he could have done a good job of prosecuting the Orange Hellbeast, but he didn't get a fair shot.
Anyway, I definitely don't plan on defending Garland again, not based on what we know now, and I agree that Biden never should have appointed him.
ancianita
(38,787 posts)It's not that AG Garland hasn't done a great job in prosecuting corruption and cybercrimes, and it's not that he hadn't tried to hit at the heart of the criminal syndicate that Trump's indicted lawyers and enablers became -- this DOJ indicted a LOT of lawyers and enablers. He and this DOJ did much good in the greater scheme of things.
We'll never know if any other AG could have done any better, really.
It's just that now we have to face that he hurt Biden and our party in his attempt to act without fear or favor.
And don't think the other side doesn't think the same way about Garland -- that they were patriots, though we know they weren't -- which could have motivated their votes beyond the numbers Trump got in 2020.
And it also explains the autocratic urge to restructure the DOJ to be dictator trump's personal law firm.
This time, with the SCOTUS green light for trump to be a criminal president, we will have to depend on Biden and our governors to trump-proof our future as trump gets his vengeance de jour going.
The next four years could be moment-to-moment. If they turn out better, at least we were better prepared for the worst because we now have better 20/20 hindsight. As do our opponents, even as they operate under an oligarchic network of lies in order to turn the country into a union-free labor force.
Thank you for your thoughtful post, ShazzieB.
Scrivener7
(53,050 posts)ancianita
(38,787 posts)And though I disputed others' gut emotions about Garland without their regard for the facts and merits, in hindsight we can now both agree (hopefully) that you were onto something about him that now, for me, only Joe Biden had the bigger picture that could help show more of the truth.
I do appreciate your gracious post.
Scrivener7
(53,050 posts)the argument that others didn't have enough facts to make observations that differed from yours.
I'll trust that they did.
By the same token, it would be helpful to acknowledge that I took great pains for over a year to bring those facts to light on this site.
Scrivener7
(53,050 posts)Your "facts" in support of Garland never proved what you think they proved. He was ineffective.
ancianita
(38,787 posts)Evolve Dammit
(18,972 posts)and destruction of our rule of law, at a time when the stakes could not have been higher.
ancianita
(38,787 posts)even as he was more 'jurist' than prosecutor, he'd overseen/prosecuted (not sure) the Oklahoma bombing case. No one could have known. Not even Biden. Garland might not have even known this about himself, for that matter.
More lessons on how rule of law is hard to prosecute in such a massively large country with so much abused freedom, so much hate/fear propaganda toward such a conflict-driven populace.
As Biden says, though, no matter what we face, we can't just walk away.
Evolve Dammit
(18,972 posts)onecaliberal
(36,209 posts)But we know who is defending who and what don't we?!?
Evolve Dammit
(18,972 posts)onecaliberal
(36,209 posts)All of them are.
Evolve Dammit
(18,972 posts)onecaliberal
(36,209 posts)There is a great article I posted here. I will need to hunt for it, dont have time right now.
onecaliberal
(36,209 posts)Evolve Dammit
(18,972 posts)kerry-is-my-prez
(9,359 posts)He probably has even more questionable friends.
onecaliberal
(36,209 posts)Uncle Clarence is his fav though.
ShazzieB
(18,867 posts)I guess I'm not part of "we," because I have no idea what you're talking about here.
XanaDUer2
(14,373 posts)Response to boston bean (Original post)
Post removed
RockRaven
(16,458 posts)decision and thinks it bad, to the degree that their complaining excludes of all the other decisions which were also bad, one must ask why.
Think. Again.
(18,630 posts)I suspect garland is a hardright federalist society plant through and through.
tavernier
(13,273 posts)that he sniff sniff was DEDICATED to Liberty and Justice For All?
hadEnuf
(2,765 posts)Seems like it.
Useless bastard....
Think. Again.
(18,630 posts)slightlv
(4,404 posts)which is why Obama thought he'd get him through as a scotus pick.
Mr.WeRP
(644 posts)Or he is evil and knew Trump would get away with all of his cases on delays and decided to focus on prosecuting the low level insurrectionists, to only have that work undone by Trump when he won the POTUS again. Waiting two years to assign Smith was either dumb or evil. And dumb is the best case here.
Mike 03
(17,160 posts)--- President Joseph Biden, p. 312, "War" by Bob Woodward
ShazzieB
(18,867 posts)In October I'd posted about what an historical revelation it is about this Biden presidency and the national security team he led.
https://upload.democraticunderground.com/132244039
ShazzieB
(18,867 posts)I didn't take the time to read the whole thing, but I just did, and I'm adding this book to my "must read" list!
republianmushroom
(17,983 posts)May Merrick the Meek, sit on this pardon until he dies.
calimary
(84,504 posts)BIG disappointment, that one.
lark
(24,300 posts)Don't know if it's total spinelessness on Garlands' part, if he's a magat mole, was threatened or bribed - but he definitely succeeded in helping fascism take over our country. I hope it haunts him and makes him sick every day of his life as he's fucked over us all and deserves on peace of mind.
Ligyron
(7,904 posts)SunSeeker
(53,936 posts)He'll probably get audited by Trump's IRS, just like Trump did with Comey.
Dem4life1234
(1,946 posts)The orange beast would have been languishing in a jail cell by now.
And then some have the nerve to criticize the president about pardoning his son, as if they wouldn't do the same in his situation. I am so over it, so over how Dems have to be perfect angels, while Rethugs can get away with acting like uncivilized creatures.
NBachers
(18,169 posts)Evolve Dammit
(18,972 posts)Clouds Passing
(2,568 posts)bdamomma
(66,631 posts)spineless to the core. Where the eff is he???
Polybius
(18,134 posts)But what I do blame Biden for is not firing him. I get it, you don't wanna be like Trump and fire everyone. But if you have to, there's nothing wrong with doing it. We shouldn't have to be forced to keep bad employees.
hadEnuf
(2,765 posts)We've continued to worry about what the right-wing media might think and say, or who they'll bring on Fox to say even meaner things about Democrats.
There is no appeasing of fascists. PERIOD. Trying to appease them only gives the cat more time to torment the mouse.
kerry-is-my-prez
(9,359 posts)Joe Biden, who knows everyone and has been around for eons didnt know this?
townie
(75 posts)Stinky The Clown
(68,473 posts)lees1975
(6,031 posts)is the reason why Trump will get to go back to the White House. The exact opposite of what should have happened, which would have been Trump's prosecution and conviction on grounds he incited the insurrection against the Capitol on January 6th, is now going to happen and it's because Merrick Garland was not a bold, visionary and defender of the American constitution and rule of law. I realize these are the last two months of Biden's term in office, but as a gesture to the American people, who got screwed, Biden should fire Garland.
A conviction for inciting insurrection makes Trump disqualified to run, and we wouldn't be here if Garland had a set.
ificandream
(10,618 posts)Bird Lady
(1,924 posts)Garland is hated by me almost as much as I hate 45
Autumn
(46,544 posts)Scrivener7
(53,050 posts)Evolve Dammit
(18,972 posts)seen actual prosecutions.
kerry-is-my-prez
(9,359 posts)Those of us who are old enough to remember it, knew a shitload of people involved were never charged, probably never looked into. Only two people received serious charges. Another person was in prison for 10 years and is now in witness protection. AND Garland begged to be involved in that investigation.
Scrivener7
(53,050 posts)As if that had any relevance to prosecuting trump.
kerry-is-my-prez
(9,359 posts)They could get any of these terrorists. They apparently robbed dozens of banks to raise money to be used for their activities - probably including the bombing. They couldnt arrest one of these people and get them to squeal?
A rookie cop would be able to handle that. Pitiful.
https://famous-trials.com/oklacity/730-home
McVeigh's close association with white supremacists and other government-haters at Elohim City continued throughout 1994. In addition to joining in bank robberies, there is evidence to suggest that people at the compound were involved in the bombing plot itself. According to BATF informant Carol Howe, who worked undercover in Elohim City, Andreas Strassmeir and Dennis Mahon made the first of three trips to Oklahoma City in November to inspect possible bombing targets. Howe informed her supervisor of these developments. The BATF was sufficiently alarmed by Howe's reports to plan a raid on Elohim City, but following a February 1995 meeting with officials from the FBI and U. S. Attorney's Office, the planned operation is called off. There is no way of knowing whether the raid, if conducted, might have prevented the tragedy in Oklahoma City--but that remains a real possibility.
-snip-
Fellow death row inmates David Hammer and Jeffrey Paul, in their 2004 book Secrets Worth Dying For, contend that McVeigh revealed to them that he and four members of the Aryan Republican Army, with Elohim City connections, met several times in March and April 1995 in the Arizona desert, where "they conducted 'dry runs' of the 'planting the bomb and getting away.'" The two authors also contend that McVeigh told them he met in Las Vegas a man he called "Poindexter," who provided detailed knowledge on bomb assembly, and would visit with him again at McVeigh's room at the Imperial Hotel in Kingman
By the end of September 1994, McVeigh's plot (we will, in this trial commentary, call it "McVeigh's plot," although there is a body of evidence to suggest that others played significant planning roles as well) started to unfold. On September 22, he rented a storage unit in Herington, Kansas, that would later be used to house explosive materials. A week later, Terry Nichols bought a ton of ammonium nitrate, a key ingredient in the bomb that would be used in Oklahoma City. Ammonium nitrate is a commonly used agricultural fertilizer and the purchase was made at a farm cooperative in McPherson, Kansas.
On April 5, two minutes after a phone call to the Ryder Rental Company made from his motel room in Kingman, McVeigh placed a call to Elohim City. The contents of that phone conversation are unknown, of course, but there has been considerable speculation in books and on Internet sites, that McVeigh sought to coordinate bombing plans with some compound residents. Three days after his phone call, McVeigh arrived in Oklahoma, where he was seen at Lady Godiva's, a Tulsa strip club, in the presence of Elohim City militants Andreas Strassmeir and a third man, who some people suggest might have been Michael Brescia. A security camera in a dressing room at the strip club apparently recorded McVeigh telling a stripper, "On April 19, you'll remember me for the rest of your life.
Scrivener7
(53,050 posts)spanone
(137,619 posts)SWBTATTReg
(24,267 posts)down so easily on some rather out in the open things to do, but he didn't. If he was able to prosecute and convict over 600+ 1/6 defendants, why not the guy at the head of it? Garland is going to go down in history as a failed AG. He'll never be able to recover from this. And he shouldn't.
I can see it now, and we'll see evidence of this before too long, when we'll see Garland's comments/remarks after he's out of office, that excuses 1-100 prevented him for various reasons from doing his job. Personally, I think that only 1 excuse would ring a bell w/ me, he's a coward, afraid of what tRUMP would nickname him.
Oh well, perhaps we'll come up w/ a new holiday for failed AGs, perhaps a 'Failed AG Day'.
Bernardo de La Paz
(51,096 posts)Ruby the Liberal
(26,322 posts)1000 times this.
4catsmom
(267 posts)Seems to be as spineless as the rest