Once again, Dave, you are the salve for this festering wound that is the 47th GOP administration. Please keep being the voice of intelligent reason in a sea of hypocrisy, stupidity and cowardice.
Thanks, Terri. I don’t know why more Iowans can’t see this for what it is. The polls show a majority of Americans opposed pardons for the rioters but there is nothing but crickets coming from those who voted for Trump and his Iowa enablers in office.
Dave—So appreciate your blunt and accurate comments. This admin and all the nose rubbers are beyond belief and scary. We all feel powerless. I’m sending daily emails to Grassley, Ernst, and Nunn. I need to add Bird & Kimmy to my tirades and force a response back. So tired of their craziness and gaslighting efforts!
I find it particularly reprehensible that Iowa AG Bird, especially, so consistently talks out of both sides of her mouth about “law and order” and “backing the blue.”
I understand Ernst’s desire to elevate herself in the Trump hierarchy, but what are Bird’s motives? I can only speculate.
Thank you for writing this direct and significant story.
--Trump gets criminals off the streets by bringing them into his admin
--how can any elected rep who was @ Capitol Jan 6--with their lives endangered--not be absolutely PISSED!???
--How will GOP react when the first (perhaps of several?) cop is killed by a released Jan 6er? I don't think playing the Hunter Biden card will fly then. But I won't bet against it.
Citizens can effectively engage by personally contacting federal representatives, especially noting if they are constituents who voted Republican but strongly disagree with potential pardons.
The false equivalency discussion also merits additional comment. The pardons are not equivalent, as several in Iowa's delegation would like you to believe.
1. Scale and Nature of Actions-J-6 rioters: Violently attacked the U.S. Capitol, and attempted to disrupt a constitutional process. In contrast, Biden/Fauci pardons: Typically involved minor or procedural issues
2. Legal Context- J6 cases: Serious criminal charges involving violent sedition. In contrast, the other pardons were generally non-violent, administrative, or technical violations
3. Democratic Process Impact--J6 rioters: Directly threatened peaceful transfer of power, as opposed to the other pardons: Did not undermine fundamental democratic mechanisms
4 Precedents and Consequences. While both sets of pardons risk normalizing certain behaviors,
pardoning J6 rioters would normalize efforts to forcibly overturn an election through violence.
Ralph, I have no idea what issue the Republicans have with Fauci? Is it just that he supported masks and vaccines and they don’t like either of those? What did he supposedly do wrong, even if it was only a technical violation. (I don’t watch Fox News, so I’m in the dark.).
This is another application of the 'shock and awe' concept; so many 'bang bangs' occurring simultaneously that one's first reaction is to duck and cover. But we can't. Credit is grudgingly due to all of the Project 2025 minions who have been preparing for this for years. Unlike his first term,Trump has a team who know where the levers of power are, and special interest groups who have prepared not only a wish list but also enough detail behind the wishes to move decisively from the first hour. All Trump is is the bullhorn, getting his misinformation from the issue-prompt of the day and no doubt forgetting most of it by end of day. He wakens as a deeply angry tabula rasa every morning, wondering where his vengeance will lead him that day
Additional irony is that Trump, who is the master with his lawyers of due process. Due process is being tipped (more likely thrown upon its head) by the Executive Orders and other directives that have been issued. Due process is essential to our system. It assures that the rule of law is performed in an appropriate, proper, and reasonable manner. Anyone who becomes involved with the law -- whether criminal or civil -- is entitled to notice, opportunity for a hearing, and an impartial hearing officer or tribunal. Without due process of law, whether procedural or substantive, the rule of law is nothing but a catch phrase. The goal appears to be to reduce due process and the underlying procedures to nothing, except when applied to Donald J. Trump.
Dave, thank you for noting the irony or ironies associated with the pardons and grants of clemency by Trump 2.0. All of us need to watch what the individuals who were ordered confidence for extended sentences will do. It will also be a challenge to listen to the anticipated civil lawsuits which are being touted seeking damages by the individuals who both were convicted and/or pleaded guilty to their roles in connection with January 6 and are now free with their records wiped clean. From the comments I have heard, my sense is that they feel they are entitled to significant sums of money from someone, somewhere for either (1) abuse of process or (2) malicious prosecution. I question whether a competent and qualified trial judge would allow such cases to move forward.
George, I think his strategy is to do whatever he wants and force somebody to stop him. Just like he used delay, delay and appeal to run out the clock in his criminal charges, he will force groups to sue him in an effort to uphold the law. He knows that takes time and lots of money.
I doubt he knows what the phrase due process even means, and it’s obvious he does not care.
It’s always projection, Dave — his criticism of opponents for what he says they’re doing (NOT) … when it is what he would like to do.
Exactly.
Appreciate someone finally calling the cowardice by its name. Keep up the great work! It is appreciated.
Thanks for calling out this profound hypocrisy.
Great column! Thank you!
Deny, deflect, attack! Who might have predicted all of this? EVERYONE!
Can’t blame Trump, he’s just shooting people on 5th Avenue.
Our own elected officials are responsible, they all know better.
Profiles in courage, NOT!
I thought about a headline of “Profiles in Cowardice”
That’s a great headline! The Dems ought to use it.
Once again, Dave, you are the salve for this festering wound that is the 47th GOP administration. Please keep being the voice of intelligent reason in a sea of hypocrisy, stupidity and cowardice.
Thanks, Terri. I don’t know why more Iowans can’t see this for what it is. The polls show a majority of Americans opposed pardons for the rioters but there is nothing but crickets coming from those who voted for Trump and his Iowa enablers in office.
Welcome to the occupation.
Dave—So appreciate your blunt and accurate comments. This admin and all the nose rubbers are beyond belief and scary. We all feel powerless. I’m sending daily emails to Grassley, Ernst, and Nunn. I need to add Bird & Kimmy to my tirades and force a response back. So tired of their craziness and gaslighting efforts!
Thanks for writing to them, Cindy. Let’s hope there are enough Iowans doing that to get through to them.
They’re called Proud Boys because Brown Shirts was already taken. Great column Dave.
That’s right, Richard. But how many people alive today even know about that history?
I find it particularly reprehensible that Iowa AG Bird, especially, so consistently talks out of both sides of her mouth about “law and order” and “backing the blue.”
I understand Ernst’s desire to elevate herself in the Trump hierarchy, but what are Bird’s motives? I can only speculate.
Thank you for writing this direct and significant story.
She’s clearly positioning herself for higher office if some kind of and she sees Trump as her ticket.
Let me attempt to fill in the blanks -- LOL..
"What are Bird's motives?" Humm -- let me ponder :-) :-)
Reynolds to Senator (Taking Mr. Grassley's seat), and Bird taking Reynolds seat!
RINO - ED
P.S. Great article Dave
A few thots...
--Trump gets criminals off the streets by bringing them into his admin
--how can any elected rep who was @ Capitol Jan 6--with their lives endangered--not be absolutely PISSED!???
--How will GOP react when the first (perhaps of several?) cop is killed by a released Jan 6er? I don't think playing the Hunter Biden card will fly then. But I won't bet against it.
Strange & perilous times.
Nailed it Dave!
Dave's comments deserve emphasis.
Citizens can effectively engage by personally contacting federal representatives, especially noting if they are constituents who voted Republican but strongly disagree with potential pardons.
The false equivalency discussion also merits additional comment. The pardons are not equivalent, as several in Iowa's delegation would like you to believe.
1. Scale and Nature of Actions-J-6 rioters: Violently attacked the U.S. Capitol, and attempted to disrupt a constitutional process. In contrast, Biden/Fauci pardons: Typically involved minor or procedural issues
2. Legal Context- J6 cases: Serious criminal charges involving violent sedition. In contrast, the other pardons were generally non-violent, administrative, or technical violations
3. Democratic Process Impact--J6 rioters: Directly threatened peaceful transfer of power, as opposed to the other pardons: Did not undermine fundamental democratic mechanisms
4 Precedents and Consequences. While both sets of pardons risk normalizing certain behaviors,
pardoning J6 rioters would normalize efforts to forcibly overturn an election through violence.
Ralph, I have no idea what issue the Republicans have with Fauci? Is it just that he supported masks and vaccines and they don’t like either of those? What did he supposedly do wrong, even if it was only a technical violation. (I don’t watch Fox News, so I’m in the dark.).
This is another application of the 'shock and awe' concept; so many 'bang bangs' occurring simultaneously that one's first reaction is to duck and cover. But we can't. Credit is grudgingly due to all of the Project 2025 minions who have been preparing for this for years. Unlike his first term,Trump has a team who know where the levers of power are, and special interest groups who have prepared not only a wish list but also enough detail behind the wishes to move decisively from the first hour. All Trump is is the bullhorn, getting his misinformation from the issue-prompt of the day and no doubt forgetting most of it by end of day. He wakens as a deeply angry tabula rasa every morning, wondering where his vengeance will lead him that day
Additional irony is that Trump, who is the master with his lawyers of due process. Due process is being tipped (more likely thrown upon its head) by the Executive Orders and other directives that have been issued. Due process is essential to our system. It assures that the rule of law is performed in an appropriate, proper, and reasonable manner. Anyone who becomes involved with the law -- whether criminal or civil -- is entitled to notice, opportunity for a hearing, and an impartial hearing officer or tribunal. Without due process of law, whether procedural or substantive, the rule of law is nothing but a catch phrase. The goal appears to be to reduce due process and the underlying procedures to nothing, except when applied to Donald J. Trump.
Dave, thank you for noting the irony or ironies associated with the pardons and grants of clemency by Trump 2.0. All of us need to watch what the individuals who were ordered confidence for extended sentences will do. It will also be a challenge to listen to the anticipated civil lawsuits which are being touted seeking damages by the individuals who both were convicted and/or pleaded guilty to their roles in connection with January 6 and are now free with their records wiped clean. From the comments I have heard, my sense is that they feel they are entitled to significant sums of money from someone, somewhere for either (1) abuse of process or (2) malicious prosecution. I question whether a competent and qualified trial judge would allow such cases to move forward.
George, I think his strategy is to do whatever he wants and force somebody to stop him. Just like he used delay, delay and appeal to run out the clock in his criminal charges, he will force groups to sue him in an effort to uphold the law. He knows that takes time and lots of money.
I doubt he knows what the phrase due process even means, and it’s obvious he does not care.