Third Time's Not Quite The Charm

Update: Trump is starting his finale with a bunch of -- nothing novel on principle here really -- corrupt pardons including of war criminals, fellow conspirators in the Mueller Report crimes as well as political corruption by allies. And, Kushner's dad.  His pardons are uniquely corrupt, the few good ones generally favors for celebrity friends.  

The Constitution seems to leave open arbitrariness in the application of pardons, though sound practice would provide an organized approach that also addressed such things as clear conflict of interest and so forth.  Of course, in theory, the impeachment power provides a check.  His usage here, including floating pardons (clearly spelled out in investigations and influencing the responses of people involved) to obstruct investigations. 

But, Republicans didn't give a shit and continued to enable him.  It is yet again not just his responsibility.  

Item: a felon, adherents of the QAnon conspiracy theory, a White House trade adviser and a Russian agent’s former lover

The effort to fight Biden's win continues though at this point (if it ever was different) it is clearly more grift than anything else. Accounts are that this whole effort is ranking up the bucks. It is unclear who actually are true believers, one figures Trump himself somehow believes it (see the book Strongmen where there is a tendency to believe your own b.s. as to how broad your support is), but that is on a basic level of limited importance.

The greater concern is the widespread belief the election was tainted, including this helping support of new burdensome voting restrictions as well as opposition to Biden and his overall plans. We also should be concerned about delaying and even now interfering with the Biden transition, especially in these times. This is a drawn out process that involves a lot of resources and trading of information and access. The harm here might not be clear in a hard and fast way, though examples probably can be cited, but the net burden is real. This is all the case even if (as expected) Trump is gone on January 20th.

None of this is unexpected, but we again have people saying THIS is too much as if it is really shocking, and they might have been able to go along with somewhat less. Let us recall the impeachment. As I said earlier this year: Trump got his free pass. This is from Rep. Val Demings, a House impeachment manager, a former police chief:

[He] ordered his subordinates to lie to investigators, intimidated witnesses, and tried to kneecap the investigation at every opportunity. He ordered White House Counsel Don McGahn to fire the special counsel, and then to lie about it and fabricate evidence to hide his action. Don McGahn refused this illegal order, but as Director Mueller clearly stated today, an attempt to obstruct justice is still a crime, even if refused. The Special Counsel documented at least ten counts of obstruction of justice, a federal crime.

One of the election challenge grifter gang is Sidney Powell, a dead ender on this question. She also became Mike Flynn's attorney, the start of him going (back?) to full wingnut. To show how long these things drag out, this was around two years ago. Flynn is one of those glaring, symbolic fucked up things, a national security advisor in hoc to a foreign power (at least one) and now apaprently full Q conspiracy. One or more of those now in the expanded Republican House caucus. 

The age of resistance will continue on after January 20th.