Last night, President Joe Biden did what is a relatively rare thing. He sat down with an actual reporter ostensibly to answer questions. While earlier promising a “major press conference” for the media as a whole to ask him questions, Biden instead did a low-risk interview with MSNBC’s Stephanie Ruhle. In the interview, Ruhle briefly touched on the possible criminal charges awaiting Hunter Biden. Despite reports of a whistleblower alleging a bribery scandal involving the President, Ruhle assured the President (and the viewers) that the still unknown charges will involve “no ties to you.” Moreover, the interview is most interesting for what it did not address. It was a vivid example of what I previously called “the art of scandal implosion.”
During the interview, Ruhle asked “Sir, there is something personal that’s affecting you. Your son — while there [are] no ties to you — could be charged by your Department of Justice. How will that impact your presidency?”
Biden answered, “First of all, my son’s done nothing wrong. I trust him. I have faith in him. And it impacts my presidency by making me feel proud of him.”
Note the framing: it is a “personal” not a “criminal” matter for the President that involves only his son. We still do not know what the charges might be, though there have been steady leaks indicating that the Delaware U.S. Attorney is focusing on tax and gun charges.
Yet, there are mounting allegations over the President’s involvement in his son’s influence peddling and recent allegations of potential criminal conduct by the President. It would seem worthy of some inquiry or curiosity.
This framing is only possible because the Justice Department and the media have worked tirelessly to avoid ties between Hunter Biden’s foreign dealings and the President. While influence peddling may not be a crime in itself, it often involves crimes to cover up the schemes from tax violations to false statements to unlawful financial transfers.
Last year, I wrote about a shift in the media after it was forced to belatedly acknowledge the authenticity of the Hunter Biden laptop:
“Due to the continued work of a small number of media outlets like the New York Post, it is no longer possible to bury the story or continue the false claim that it is “Russian disinformation.” The hope now appears to be a “controlled demolition” where Hunter is indicted on limited grounds without causing collateral damage to the political and media establishment. Scandal implosion is as much an art as it is a science and could be the most brilliant achievement in this ongoing scandal.”
This effort has been greatly advanced with the help of Attorney General Merrick Garland who has inexplicably refused to appoint a special counsel despite mounting evidence of influence peddling by the Biden family with Joe Biden as the object of those efforts.
Garland has effectively blocked the risk of a report on the extensive influence peddling, including the repeated references to President Biden as the “Big Guy” in emails who stood to gain from a 10 percent cut on a deal with a Chinese energy firm as well as other benefits. Emails also refer to Hunter Biden paying portions of his father’s expenses and taxes. Witnesses have come forward that directly link the President to these deals.
Yet, none of that remotely interests reporters and MSNBC is not alone. The media continues to struggle to avoid even referencing the allegations against the Bidens. NPR had to correct a story that attempted to dismiss the entire laptop story as disinformation even after media acknowledged the authenticity of the laptop.
This is why the narrow focus of the Justice Department is critical to imploding this scandal.
Indeed, in the various leaks from the Justice Department on the Hunter Biden investigation, there has been a conspicuous omission of one possible charge: a FARA violation for being an unregistered foreign agent. As I noted last week, a criminal charge may be the best option for the Bidens if it can be confined to tax and gun charges and avoid Hunter’s influence peddling efforts.
The MSNBC interview captures the developing spin. If Hunter is charged, it will be treated as a closed and confined matter with nothing to do with Joe Biden. Indeed, with the allegations of at least two whistleblowers, the Biden team likely wants a quick resolution to declare the case closed. Once they secure some “capstone” charge, they and the media can declare the matter as investigated and old news.
That strategy is certainly more difficult after the GOP takeover of the House and the committees investigating these deals and transactions. However, removing the threat of criminal investigations into the influence peddling would control the damage going into the 2024 election.
Many Democrats and reporters have insisted that influence peddling is not a crime as part of this spin. However, it is corrupt and should be a focus of the media. It certainly was during the Trump Administration when every deal by Trump family members was exhaustively and breathlessly covered. I supported such scrutiny of the Trumps, but marvel at the distinct lack of interest now in such deals by the Biden family.
In the end, this is all about a talking point. This week, new evidence showed that former CIA acting Director Mike Morell sold the now debunked letter of 51 former intelligence officials on the Hunter Biden laptop as an effort to give Biden a “talking point” in the campaign. MSNBC just field tested the new such talking point in preparing for possible charges of Hunter Biden.
Of course, MSNBC cannot take credit for this effort. It is an all-hands on deck effort. The President will continue to be protected by a cocoon of media with little interest in millions of dollars that may have gone to the Biden family in raw influence peddling.
While MSNBC and other media immediately jumped on the whistleblower story on the Ukraine telephone call from the outset, the Biden whistleblower has received a fraction of the attention.
That is why it was hardly surprising that Ruhle also did not press Biden on his continued false claims of not knowing anything about his son’s business interests despite pictures and a tape recording that clearly refute those denials.
Ruhle also ignored Biden’s absurd claim that Hunter did “nothing wrong.” Obviously, he has done a great number of “wrong things” from tax violations to gun violations to prostitution violations to a massive corruption scandal. Yet, once again, Biden went unchallenged. There was not even the slightest pushback to ask if Biden seriously did not view these actions as wrong in any way.
That would defeat the implosion strategy to bring down this scandal without collateral damage to the Bidens and the media.
How does anybody call this an interview? How much leading of the “village idiot” and false narratives used by the interviewer can there be? Joseph Goebbels was nothing compared to the BS the American people are fed. What makes this government any different than Russia’s? How much corruption are we going to take before we actually do something
“Biden answered, “First of all, my son’s done nothing wrong. I trust him. I have faith in him. And it impacts my presidency by making me feel proud of him.””
“If you repeat a lie often enough, people will believe it, and you will even come to believe it yourself.”
— Joseph Goebbels
Quoting without referencing your (primary) source, could backfire. The supposed quotation of Joseph Goebbels (with “The Truth is the Greatest Enemy of the State” at center)
“If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it. The lie can be maintained only for such time as the State can shield the people from the political, economic and/or military consequences of the lie .It thus becomes vitally important for the State to use all of its powers to repress dissent, for the truth is the mortal enemy of the lie, and thus by extension, the truth is the greatest enemy of the State.”
has been referenced countless times, without cite the source. As most likely Goebbels never wrote or uttered those words. because his views about “good propaganda” runs like this (address given in Nueremberg, Germany, 9/34):.
“Good propaganda does not need to lie; indeed it may not lie. It has no reason to fear the truth. It is a mistake to believe that people cannot take the truth. They can. It is only a matter of presenting the truth to people in a way that they will be able to understand. A propaganda that lies proves that it has a bad cause. It cannot be successful in the long run.”
In an article (1/12/41) Goebbels has accused Churchill to use “big lie” [1] technique [2]:
” The English follow the principle that when one lies, one should lie big, and stick to it. They keep up their lies, even at the risk of looking ridiculous.”
[1] The original description of the “big lie” appeared in Adolf Hitler’s autobiographical manifesto: My Struggles”, 1925. He applied it to the behavior of Jews rather than as a tactic he advocated.
[2] https://research.calvin.edu/german-propaganda-archive/goeb29.htm
To all the liars giving false witness, covering for Bidens influence peddling, Epstein murder, stolen elections, Hunters sex trafficking on Americans tax dollar, Hunters illegal use of drugs and guns, etc….all you liars.. “A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who breathes out lies will perish.”
You must have faith!
Camel-uh Harris and the Big Guy defended Seattle’s “Summer of Love” CHOP zone. This is what they enabled
“Accused killer of special needs teen in Seattle CHOP zone during 2020 protests pleads guilty to murder”
Almost three years after the shooting death of a teenager inside Seattle’s Capitol Hill Organized Protest zone, a man has pleaded guilty to murder.
https://lawandcrime.com/crime/accused-killer-of-special-needs-teen-in-seattle-chop-zone-during-2020-protests-pleads-guilty-to-murder/
#BribinBiden
I supported such scrutiny of the Trumps, but marvel at the distinct lack of interest now in such deals by the Biden family.
Why marvel? The Matrix Media takes care of the Matrix. The Matrix DoJ takes care of the Matrix.
While JT may have supported the scrutiny of the Trumps, he never wrote a whole column or blog post about them compared to the numerous columns and blog posts that he has done on Hunter Biden and the Biden family.
its cute when you upvote your own comments
I can’t figure out what you are trying to say. JT spent considerable time on Trump affairs and Trump wasn’t guilty. We have almost 50 years of Biden’s political shenanigans and corruption in politics.
Did JT do any negative columns or blog posts that focused on Trump’s family? I don’t remember any but happy to consider any information you have.
There are about 3,718,537,449 blogs that regularly criticize Trump. Then there’s Professor Turley’s blog that regularly criticizes the Bidens. So if you’re so concerned, why not start your own blog and make it 3,718,537,450 to 1.
Trump’s family didn’t engage in corruption. Trump’s family didn’t engage in illegal activities. Speech was not suppressed when it came to Trump’s actions.
The Trump family has nothing to do with the contents of Hunter’s laptop, the daughter’s diary, Bidens actions etc.
Are you advocating charging innocent people to make a corrupt politician look better?
To clarify, my main point was that JT said he supported scrutiny of the Trumps but he never wrote a column or blog post on the Trump family that would have showed support for the scrutiny.
In the US investigation must be predicated on a criminal allegation, and atleast some evidence.
If you have that regarding the Trump family – investigate them.
While we have lots of evidence – both of Biden syndicate corruption, and Democratic weaponizing govenrment to investigate without foundation,
We do not have any evidence of Trump family corruption.
Are Eric, DJR, Baron, Evanka, … drug addicts ? Are they tax evaders ? Are they trafficking in prostitutes ? Are they striking deals with countries that are our enemies ?
What is there to investigate ?
The constitution is not tit for tat.
Should government lose that anchor – and democrats have lost that anchor, we are in deep schiff.
What is it that you feel deserved more scrutiny?
Shall we make more things up just so that we create a phony list to match the Biden family corruption long list?
List the illegal actions of Trump’s family.
Did JT do any negative columns or blog posts that focused on Trump’s family?
Did, CNN, MSNBC, NYT??? Turley does Turley. Its his personal blog. Writing about what interests him. But besides that. There is no Trump family scandal….or the a fore mentioned “news” purveyors would have produced mountains of content.
Professor Turley, You statement “I supported scrutiny of the Trumps, but marvel at the distinct lack of interest now in such deals by the Biden family” has raised a number of questions and comments by several commenters (see above). Please let us know your thoughts on the comments and questions in an updated post or in a future post. Perhaps Darren or others on your team can help make this happen. Thanks.
As most of Professor’s columns are entrusted, maybe FNN, NYP, The Hill, & USA Today assign other authors to cover “scrutiny of the Trumps”
The difference:
Donand J. Trump entered politics in ’15.
The former “Senator from MNBA” in his own words (Ruhle: […] why would an 82-year-old Joe Biden be the right person for the most important job in the world?): “Because I have acquired a hell of a lot of wisdom and know more than the vast majority of people. I’m more experienced than anybody has gone through the office and I think I’ve proven myself to be honorable as well as also effective.”
Who actually beleives what Biden says of himself ?
Recently in a softball interview he said that his low poll numbers are because he has the worst press of any presidnet.
The FACT is Biden’s press so far has been 69% POSITIVE.
At this point in 2019 Trump’s press was 89% negative.
Biden may get some leeway on constantly bogus claims because of his cognitive impairment,
But that is just a reason he should not be president.
Regardless, he has been a disaster – Compared to Trump, compared to Obama, Compared to Bush.
Compared to James Buchanan the worst president in US history.
He keeps saying – Wait – his policies are going to start working.
REALLY ? NO ONE is predicting 2025 will be a good year. Most major current projections are that it will be worse than 2020 – except there is no massive covid excuse today. Already Biden has the worst average growth of any 21st century president and probably the worst average growth since the Great Depression.
And this despite the fact that growth was at 6% when Trump left office and inflation was at 1.4% – today they have flipped.
Never before has any president taken such a good economy and turned it to crap so fast.
Regardless, NO ONE thinks 2023 is going to be better.
And there are many that think 2024 could be much worse still.
When is it that the benefits of his policies are going to kick in ? They already have – they are not benefits, they are harms.
“Who actually believes what Biden says of himself ?”
The electorate, John!
maybe in 2020,
70% of americans – including 60% of democrats do not want Biden to run in 2024.
You can’t fool all the people all the time.
“70% of americans – including 60% of democrats do not want Biden to run in 2024.”
As his puppeteers decided that he runs together with VP, who cares about polls?
As there is plenty of time: Maybe Brandon’s puppeteers decide they are better of with a Newson/Rice ticket (10 years President Harris is a long period of time!) they send him packing because of serious health issues, or whatsoever
“You can’t fool all the people all the time.”
Do you think RNC launch “factcheckbiden” to win elections?
To win elections, you need ballots & DNC knows the routine! How will a GOP candidate win ’24 presidency without PA’s (19), GA’s (16), and AZ’s (11) 46 electorial votes?
How will Republicans win ?
By winning more votes than can be overcome by fraud.
As Lincoln said – you can not fool all of the people all of the time.
It is up to 17% of democrats who are now saying they would not have voted for Biden in 2020 had the HB laptop story been covered.
There is a limit to the amount of fraud that you can get away with.
Election rigging is a very dangerous game.
If you get caught you lose almost EVERYONE.
Conversely there are voter trends favoring republicans that are ongoing.
Since Bush the GOP has been getting more and more hispanic and other minority votes.
We heard for years that demographics is destiny and that Republicans just could not get enough white votes.
But increasingly it is the democratic party that is the party of White IYI’s – Intellectual Yet Idiot.
One of the anachronisms of the moment is that massive numbers of hsipanics – Venezuelan’s and others from Failed socialist countries are crossing the border by the hundreds of thousands.
Republicans are opposing this.
Democrats are favoring it.
If I were a democrat I would NOT be betting that those fleeing socialist paradises are going to vote democrat in the future.
“How will Republicans win ?
By winning more votes than can be overcome by fraud.”
John, cards are not your game. If the dealer cheats, you lose.
My point is that thereis a limit to the extent the dealer can get away with cheating.
I would further note the card game analogy is poor.
Card games have fixed calculable odds.
Elections do not.
Voters shift. Large groups have been trending republican slowly for a long time.
Without changing that democrats must cheat more with each election.
Eventually they get caught.
Getting caught cheating will be absolutely catastrophic.
Getting caught cheating in a significant federal election is the kind of stuff that would justify actual insurrection.
“Eventually they get caught.”
Eventually, power becomes too great, and people are trapped.
“Getting caught cheating in a significant federal election is the kind of stuff that would justify actual insurrection.”
Do you think the people in the despotic nations fail to note that their elections are phony. Where are all the insurrections? What do these post-insurrection nations look like?
We can’t afford to let things go so far. That is what you seem to advocate, and to me, that is near suicide.
“How will Republicans win ?”
You are assuming the false premise that the Republican presidential candidate will be able to exhaust the voter pool. “Never Trumper”, RINO supporter and part of cocktail class republicans don’t vote for Trump & the biggest portion of the approx 20% working-class “MAGA movement” is only focused on Trump.
“Election rigging is a very dangerous game.”
Those in the know don’t say this because there is no proof!
Topic is “ballot harvesting” [1]
[1] https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2023/may/4/trump-camp-raising-money-gop-ballot-harvesting-ope/
“You are assuming”
I am assuming nothing.
“the false premise that the Republican presidential candidate will be able to exhaust the voter pool. ”
Republicans must get their voters to vote for them.
Democrats must get theirs to vote for them.
That is how elections work.
If I could I would make voting as hard as possible for everyone – so that only the mjost dedicated voted.
“”Never Trumper”, RINO supporter and part of cocktail class republicans don’t vote for Trump & the biggest portion of the approx 20% working-class “MAGA movement” is only focused on Trump.”
So ?
There is no right for Trump to all republican voters. There is no right for Biden for all democrats.
Candidates and parties must win the support of a majority of voters.
I am not republican. At best Republicans are the lessor evil. While I am glad that Neo-Cons are leaving the GOP and Blue Colar workers are joing it.
That is all inside baseball, and not my concern.
I have major problems with lots of “Rhino’s” and neo-cons – not because they choose not to support Trump. That is their perogative.
But because they do not seem to grasp the growing threat from the left.
15 years ago the politics of so called “Rhino’s” would have been far more reasonable.
I would be happy to return to a politics where republicans could afford to be more moderate.
Regardless, the GOP is going to have to work out its relationship with Rhino’s, Moderates and independents – just as Democrats have similar problems.
Again – inside baseball. Bot my concern.
Both parties have to learn to win election in pink and purple states and districts. And that might not be with MAGA or progressive candidates.
Because the entire country is not deep blue and dark red.
““Election rigging is a very dangerous game.”
Those in the know don’t say this because there is no proof!”
Of course there is that is complete nonsense.
There is plenty of proof of election rigging.
We went through 4 years of garbage about “russian influence”.
If Russian influence deligitimaizes an election then absolutely Social Media Influence, FBI Influence, CIA Influence, DHS Influence, …. do.
Standards that are not universal are not standard.
For generations the US has decried nations that conducted their elections as we are now doing.
A fundimental requirement for self govenrment is that government – most importantly, nor any other entity can control what voters are entitled to know.
The core to the first amendment is that so long as all voices can be heard, we can trust people to make their own choices.
More specifically regarding election rigging – you have the standard incorrect.
The burden of proving that elections are not rigged rests with the state – not the people, not the challengers.
US elections have ALWAYS been problematic – but more so at sometimes than others.
In the 19th century buying votes was common place. Voters oftne made there X on preprinted ballots and then put them into public unsecured ballot boxes, and were paid as much as $5 for their vote. Johnson’s winning his first Senate election by stuffing 80,000 ballots is infamous and has been confirmed as true.
When 20th century mechanical voting machines were retired, nearly all were found to have gears ground off to alter counts.
Yet despite all these problems – until more recently the US likely had the most trustworthy elections in the world.
Though to be clear that is NOT a high bar.
Regardless, conducting elections that can be trusted is not all that hard to do.
What it does require – something we have entirely lost, is election rules that are enforced.
One of the most fundimental failures we have is that the courts are accepting ballots where there are doubts.
If you do not have laws that are enforced rigorously – you will end up with fraud.
The next major problem we have with elections is that as conducted today they are open loop processes.
It is very near impossible to trust an open loop system.
While closed loop systems are inherently trustworthy.
What does this means ? A closed loop system is a system in which there is a feedback loop.
In an election that means that processes that verify the election process are AUTOMATIC.
We are still fighting over the AZ governor’s race. The lake campaign is in court seeking to verify signatures on 300,000 ballots.
Why should any campaign be in court for that ? Why shouldn’t that just happen automatically ?
Why shouldn’t every single part of an election be independently verified all the time ?
The AZ 2020 audit found that nearly 1/2 of all ballots counted had some error or other that should have resulted in their being rejected.
While that Audit did not find clear evidence of Fraud. Nearly everyone error that the Audit found increased the possibility of undetected fraud.
That near 50% error rate – that is NOT errors by voters – which mostly we must accept – though within standards.
Those errors are things like ballots on the wrong paper, or various chain of custody errors, or record keeping errors.
Manufactures – even in China, Mexico, or India, strive to reach 6 sigma standards – that is an error rate of 3.4/1,000,000.
That would be an error rate of about 400 ballots errors for the entire 2020 election accross the country.
That would be an election you could trust.
We should have fewer election challenges and more integral closed loop processes to assure that our elections are trustworthy.
The core presumption – of the people, of the courts should ALWAYS been that sloppy elections, high error rates, failure to follow the law,
Last minute changed, late counts -0 all the assorted messiness that we see all the time are PROOF that the election should not be trusted.
And all of that is specifically related to the mechanics of voting.
We have independent issues of election rigging when the informationt hat the electorate has available to it regarding candidates and facts is being currated.
It is not the NYT’s or Twitters, or DHS’s role to decide what Voters are allowed to know.
The ability to control information to voters is election rigging.
And as surely as anything else it erodes confidence in elections.
Because the press was doing its job. What was there to write about?
he never wrote a whole column or blog post about them compared to the numerous columns and blog posts that he has done on Hunter Biden and the Biden family.
He didn’t need to; the entire body of the “news” media was on the case.
Turley never seems to write about what the apparatchiks want him to write about.
That’s Professor Turley to you, cretin.
Cionnath was defending Turley and not attacking him, as you would realize if you gave any thought to it.. And no sensible person cares about titles in a blog.
“The characterization of Stephanie Ruhl, or for that matter anyone else at MSNBC, as “an actual reporter” presents an ideal opportunity for satire and mockery. […] Thank you, Professor, for the comedy even though it’s as tragic as it is.”
This can be seen by assuming that the professor – in a babe in the woods habitus – is unaware of the decision-making process in MSM in general and reporters influence in particular. I prefer loyal people and not those who accept influence, prestige and money, but are disloyal to their protégé.
For those who are unfamiliar with communications giant COMCAST, the owner of MSNBC:
* CEO & Chairman Billionaire Brian Roberts is a huge Democratic donor and was [[…] [1].
* US Ambassador to Canada, David Cohen, previously served as COMCAST’s EVP, chief lobbyist and senior advisor to Roberts, was a former aide of Governor, Mayor, DNC Chair Ed Rendell. During Obama tenure, Cohen visited WH multiple times, Oval Office included.
Stephanie Ruhl did what WH & MSNBC expected from her. Did CNN’s Jack Tapper offer a better performance seven months ago [2]?
[1] https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/administration/advisory-boards/jobs-council/members/roberts
[2] https://edition.cnn.com/videos/us/2022/10/12/president-joe-biden-exclusive-hunter-biden-jake-tapper-sot-tapperctn-vpx.cnn
The good professor hit a nerve with this one. All the hard-left trolls came out to spew disinformation, misinformation, and redirects, some in multiple times.
You noticed that, too. It’s popcorn time when he writes such a post. I believe the bottom line of his post is that no one in the Lamestream Media scrutinizes or pushes back in the slightest way what comes out of Biden’s mouth. Remember then days when something like an alleged affair got a Senator booted from a presidential race? Now, mounting evidence of corruption and scandal do not amount to a hill of beans. But no one has any scruples any more, so here we are well into the Twilight Zone.
They should have substituted Biden with the previous article’s Screaming Transhee. It would have provided the same amount of value with a bit more drama.
Jonathan: As I often do on the weekends here are other important news items this week you chose to ignore:
–Enrique Tarrios and 3 other Proud Boys were found guilty of seditious conspiracy. The leaders of the Oathkeepers were also found guilty of the same charges earlier this year. That makes 2 big wins for the DOJ. And Tarrio was found guilty despite the fact he was no where near the Capitol on Jan.6. What does that mean for Mark Meadows, Rudy Giuliani and other co-conspirators in the insurrection? They also did not directly participate. And what about Donald Trump? He was in the WH? Looks like Jack Smith will have a lot of leverage over all the other possible defendants with those 2 successful prosecutions of the Oathkeepers and the Proud Boys.
–There is new reporting on the growing corruption scandal inside the Supreme Court. The Insider had a story on Thursday entitled “Clarence Thomas’ wife Ginni was paid nearly $100,000 for ‘consulting’ by a nonprofit that ended up filing an amicus brief to the Supreme Court”. Leonard Leo, the director of the Federalist Society, made the payment to Ginni but directed that her name be left off the paperwork. Secret off the books payments to Ginni? Could it get any worse for Clarence Thomas? Yes, it can. Other reporting this week indicates the conservative billionaire Harlan Crow also paid about $100,000 in tuition for Clarence’s grand nephew could attend a private boarding school. Clarence did not report this gift from Crow on his annual financial disclosure statement. Did Thomas file gift tax returns and pay gift taxes on any of the gifts he received from Crow? An interesting Q for the IRS.
And there is other reporting on Harlan Crow. The Intercept has a long article (4/25/23) indicating Crow was a is/was a dual citizen of the islands of St. Kitts and Nevis. Why these remote Caribbean islands? They are tax havens known for financial secrecy in a cash-for-citizenship scheme. The “golden passports” afforded by the two islands make it easier for the ultra wealthy to hide assets from taxing authorities in their home countries. Among those using their “golden passports” are corrupt oligarchs, fugitives and sanctioned business people. Senate Finance Committee Ron Wyden has asked Crow to produce evidence he has “complied with all relevant tax and ethics laws”. Crow has a lot of explaining to do! If Thomas were smart he would try to distance himself from his “closest friend”. Not likely to happen. And why the Thomas’ are the center of the growing corruption scandal inside the SC.
Dennis,
Re: Crow and Thomas, this video by Chris Hayes might interest you:
“Leonard Leo and the right had a problem: they were putting people on the court, and then couldn’t control how they ruled. So they came up with a two-fold solution to create a captured court—one that explains the many Clarence Thomas benefactors.”
video here: https://twitter.com/allinwithchris/status/1654645099446280192
Anonymous: Thx for your always inciteful reporting. Yes, I saw the story. Leo learned a valuable lesson from the early years when he helped put conservative on the court, like Sandra Day O’Connor, only to have them actually follow the law and precedent. Leo decided he had to put “true-believers” on the courts. So he got that opportunity with Trump. He got Trump to appoint his adherents who he knew would not vary from the right-wing ideology. Even got them to lie to the Judiciary Committee about Roe. The Q is why didn’t the press report on this at the time? Did you see the photo of Crow, Thomas smoking a cigar, Leo and the other plotters to change the direction of the Court? It looks like a scene out of the “Godfathers”. It seems ripe for a movie with Al Pacino, Robert DeNiro, Matt Damon and Morgan Freeman as Clarence Thomas. Can’t think of better casting!
God forbid that the Courts do not follow precident.
Where would we be if Plessey V. Fergesson, or Dredd Scott were not still the law of the land ?
Conservatives and libertarians have been working together to fix the lawless direction of the court for decades.
This is not something that started yesterday or with Trump.
The left fixates over Roe. But What has changed ? A few states have more abortions restrictions, a few less.
In some states Democrats have succeeded in incorporating Abortion into their constitution.
But mostly nothing has changed – except that Scotus is not going to have to deal with a new abortion case every year.
People were divided about abortion before. They remain divided.
Majorities want abortion to be legal.
Super majorities oppose late term abortions and majorities oppose mid term abortions.
In some red states – abortion is nearly illegal. In some Blue states abortion is practically legal after birth.
Little has changed.
Had the left actually wanted to take a moral stance – they could have opposed Vax mandates, and other Public Health measures that infringed on people choices with their own bodies.
But rhe people who chant – “My Body, My Choice” Don’t actually mean that.
Regardless you have whigged out over abortion – and yet, Roe has been overturned and women are not dying in the streets.
Pretty much nothing has changed.
I would suggest that you seriously think about that.
Abortion worked for you in the 2022 campaign – barely.
But again – nothing has changed. How do you think it will work for you in 2024 ?
Who is going to continue to care – if nothing changed ?
BTW the “nothing changed” was predictable.
Gutmacher’s(PP) data has been showing that for decades.
When abortion laws get more restrictive – NOTHING CHANGES.
Women just make choices earlier. The get abortions earlier, they use morning after pills. the use birth control.
So the entire abortion debate has fundimentally about awomens priviledge to wait until the last minute to make a choice in the worst possible way.
And that HAS changed – for the good.
Excellent analysis, but I disagree with you on the last point. Yes, it is good that late-term abortions have been restricted in some states, but in others they have enshrined it as an “anytime for any reason” right. It’s such a barbaric practice and I do not understand how the party of PETA and Save the Whales can support what we know is torture to the unborn life.
My argument was NOT about the morality of abortion.
It was that Dobb’s has NOT fundimentally changed anything.
The Biggest Dobbs change is that The people in difference states have different views on Abortion and Mostly abortion law in various states has shifted to reflect the views of the residents of that state.
Regardless, I did not make a moral argument for or against Abortion – I have done that elsewhere in other posts.
Aside from addressing some of the hypocracy of the left – favoring vax mandidates while opposing abortion restrictions – my body my choice only seems to apply to killing fetus’s.
Dobb’s did not change anything consequentially.
There is a pretty strong case that it significantly harmed Republicans in 2022,
But it is my view that impact will disappear by 2024.
Remember what will matter is what happens regarding abortion in pink and purple states NOT red and blue ones.
I do beleive SCOTUS screwed up with Dobb’s.
I beleive they should have finallyreversed the incrediblly repugnant Bell v Buck and affirmed and actual right to control of ones own body.
That would have resulted in a different version of Roe.
The right of a woman to have a fetus removed from her body would be near absolute – even it that resulted in the death of the fetus.
But the state would be free to intervene – not to stop the abortion, but to attempt to save the fetus.
That does not make anyone happy.Bujt it actually fits well with centuries of common law on broader issues.
It is actually important to establish a right to control of ones own body – because as populations collapse I fully expect the left – which never cres about individual rights to shift to an anti-abortion position – to bolster populations.
On the actually meaningful decisions as far as most conservatives and libertarains are concerned about – most of those on the left do not care and do not notice.
Do those of you on the left even know what chevron deference is ?
Outside of Roe – which is now passed – what decision of “right wing” Courts is that that the left can get majority much less super majority opposition to ?
Many of those on this blog – especially those not on the left can name lots of major court decisions they agree with or dis agree with,
As well as the arguments. But the ordinary person can not.
The courts are important – and the lawlessness of the judges on the left is incredibly important. It is very important that the court protect us from government overreach – or judicial overreach. But most people do not understand that, and those that do are NOT on the left.
Male whatever movies you want – so far movies trying to push left wing political themes do poorly.
It is weird – despite the fact that hollywood leans precariously to the left. People do not want to send their kids to Trans Disney.
We expect good stories, with minimal preaching – and if there is some about actually core values – that nearly all of us share
We do not want to be preached at.
So go ahead and try to make some Clarence Thomas hit peice – she if the box office pays for the production cost.
You lined up a very expensive cast.
Most americans love the performances of some of the most left leaning actors in the country.
So long as their politics stays out of their performances.
And we pay no attention to their of screen prosethelitizing.
Well said.
Dennis: thank you. Turley is paid to attack MSNBC and other mainstream media by portraying them as participating in a cover up of—what? I don’t know, and neither does Turley, because all he can say is there are “allegations” and “reports of a whistleblower”. Yet, he admits if ithere is influence peddling, that’s not illegal, so he makes vague claims that Hunter should just plead guilty to tax and gun charges, based on what evidence, exactly? Of course, we all know that facts and evidence don’t matter to the disciples, so another purpose of today’s piece is to use his credentials to bolster the baseless attacks on Biden put out by Fox. But, what does any of Hunter’s alleged misdeeds have to do with Joe Biden, and why would Stephanie Ruhle assume they did? Another purpose of today’s piece is to keep the “Hunter Biden Scandal” front and center, as if it’s really, really important, and to prase the “NY Post”, by making the absurd claim that it has somehow prevented people from questioning the authenticity of the laptop.Today’s little piece is just another attack on mainstream media, implying that they’re not telling the truth or the whole story because they don’t attack Biden like his employer does. We see through you, Turley.
As you point out, there are far bigger and more important stories that Turley just simply ignores because they aren’t on the assignment list. He has lost any semblance of neutrality or objectivity.
Gigi: No. thank you for always bringing some sanity to Turley’s blog. Keep it up!
“Turley is paid to attack MSNBC and other mainstream media”
Presuming that is true – which it is not – so what ?
People attack Fox all the time.
Some on the right are now attacking Fox.
Generally people get paid well for doing a job well.
Turley’s posts are substanitive – they make factual, logical, legal, well reasoned arguments.
These might also be attacks.
But as is typical of leftist argument – such as your – it is shallow.
People are paid to attack Trump – are you opposed to that ?
As Lincoln noted: You can fool some of the people all of the time – You still beleive the Collusion Delusion nonsense.
But ultimately you can not fool all the people all the time.
Whether you like it or not the claims against the Biden’s are substantial, damaging and the only open question is the extent of the criminality and the extent of Joe Biden’s involvement.
Is every single detail of every claim proven beyond a reasonable doubt – no.
Ultimately Republicans will have to back up some of the new claims or lose credibility.
But so far the trend – both politically and factually has been towards them.
The HB laptop is NOT russian disinformation.
Democrats – including those in government did use that and other claims to rig the election.
Democrats and the Biden’s and the media have been caught over and over in cover-ups, lies and corruption.
Eventually these whistle blowers will have to come forward, and their claims will have to hold up – or Republicans will lose credibility – just as democrats have.
I would further note that When I or you or Turley or other posters here make claims – we bet our reputation on them.
You fill your posts with trivially disprovable garbage. You do not correct when caught.
Few people beleive or trust you.
I recently made a false assumption about Morell based on reporting by both left and right.
Someone pointed that out -someone I likely do not agree with politically. Regardless they were correct, and I was not,
And I corrected error – rather than as those of you on the left digging in and refusing to accept facts no matter what.
In the scheme of things my error was small. But I should have checked. I should not have relied on the press – including the left press.
Regardless, the error damages my credibility and the correction only partly restores that.
This does not greately concern me. I have established a reputation for truth. All of us make errors – though I work hard to avoid them.
And I correct them when I find them.
The only difference between you, me, Turley, democrats, is the frequency of errors we make and how we deal with them.
As noted – ultimately Republicans will have to produce these WB’s in some form.
Doing so will either strengthen or weaken their credibility.
I can wait for that. In the meantime – Republicans unlike democrats have a reputation for being able to back up their claims.
I expect the WB’s to come forward. I expect that when they do their testimony will back their claims.
Why do I expect that ? Because most past republican claims have proven true. And most past democrat ones have not.
Yet, he admits if ithere is influence peddling, that’s not illegal, so he makes vague claims that Hunter should just plead guilty to tax and gun charges, based on what evidence, exactly?
By all means, reduce the Biden family corruption scandal to “it’s not illegal!” Now do Trump having affairs and NDAs.
As for evidence – laptop, anyone? Pictures? Video? Both on and off the laptop, indicating that Biden has repeatedly lied and continues to lie about his knowledge of – and strong suggestions of his involvement in – what Hunter has been up to all these years? Who else do you think the Big Guy would be? Why doesn’t this evidence (and it is evidence) merit a full investigation?
Of course Biden (or whoever is advising him or perhaps making decisions on his behalf, since it’s not clear from any public appearance that he can sustain executive function – ironic in the Chief Executive, I would say) is going to try to get Hunter to plead out to (or the DOJ preemptively to limit charges to) tax and drug offenses, because otherwise the Biden family including Joe is in the crosshairs of a huge international scandal.
there are far bigger and more important stories
… than the possible – I would say “probable,” given his inexplicable wealth despite working in government for his entire adult life – involvement of the President of the United States in foreign influence peddling, including to states hostile to the USA, for money? Go ahead. Tell us what’s more important.
March 13, 1938 (Moscow) – Good news for socialists everywhere! The traitor N. Bukharin has been found guilty of trying to overthrow the Soviet State by conspiring with foreign powers, including Great Britain, Germany and Japan. He has been sentenced to immediate execution! The state prosecutor, Andrey Vyshinsky, characterized Bukharin as an “accursed crossbreed of fox and pig” who “committed a ‘whole nightmare of vile crimes”. Due to the eternal vigilance of Comrade Stalin, our wonderful Soviet state has been saved from an insurrection. Long live Communism!!! [Bukharin was executed on March 15, 1938. No serious historian believes any of the charges against him, although many American leftists did believe the charges at the time.]
Yet, Ray Epps, who was caught NUMEROUS times on camera, inciting a riot walks free, and goes on 60 minutes to lie to the Progressives who applaud what he helped create.
“[Stephanie] Ruhle assured the President (and the viewers) that the still unknown charges will involve ‘no ties to you.’”
– Professor Turley
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And Lee Harvey Oswald killed John F. Kennedy. And Jack Ruby killed Lee Harvey Oswald.
Why? To find the “patsy” Oswald guilty and seal the JFK assassination case forever throughout history.
No, no, never never, uh, uh, uh! The “Big Guy” could never be involved with his son’s crimes. Thanks, PMSNBC. Steph, you’re going to get a promotion and a pay raise for this presentation of some truly historical (i.e. hysterical and incoherent) propaganda while promoting the “Big Lie.” You go, girl. I can’t wait for 19th Amendment II. And just think, Ben Franklin admonished actual Americans when he said, “[We gave you] a [restricted-vote] republic, if you can keep it.” Obviously, you couldn’t, you freaking dastardly, milquetoast, panty-waist eunuchs. It makes one wonder how America ever got built in the first place.
Alas, so goes America.
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“Well, who ya gonna believe me or your own eyes?”
– Chico Marx, Duck Soup, 1933
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“We’ll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false.”
– William Casey, CIA Director 1981-1987
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“But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.”
– Declaration of Independence, 1776
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It’s long past time, Men!