posted by Dr Winston O'Boogie

Pardoning your friends and cronies is such a politics-as-usual. For a guy who claims to have come to drain the swamp, it is ironic. 

Total pardons by President

Reagan-408 (8y)

GHW Bush-77 (4y)

Clinton-459 (8y)

GW Bush-200 (8y)

Obama-1715 (8y)

Trump-25 (3y)

You are upset about Trump's pardon's because the media is telling you to be. 

No one batted an eye when Obama was pardoning more people than the last 4 Presidents combined.

posted by jmog

Total pardons by President

Reagan-408 (8y)

GHW Bush-77 (4y)

Clinton-459 (8y)

GW Bush-200 (8y)

Obama-1715 (8y)

Trump-25 (3y)

 

You are upset about Trump's pardon's because the media is telling you to be. 

 

No one batted an eye when Obama was pardoning more people than the last 4 Presidents combined.

It all depends on who is being pardoned. Remember, a lot of Obama's were his push on criminal justice reform and commuting nonviolent drug offenses. Trump has campaigned on doing the same thing. His Super Bowl commercial was all about that right? Yet, most of his so far have been political, with the rare exception of those in the commercial. 

I see the Trump pardons the last few days as just the latest in the ways that Presidents use the pardon for political purposes. It is one of the most Washington things Trump has done so far. 

posted by ptown_trojans_1

It all depends on who is being pardoned. Remember, a lot of Obama's were his push on criminal justice reform and commuting nonviolent drug offenses. Trump has campaigned on doing the same thing. His Super Bowl commercial was all about that right? Yet, most of his so far have been political, with the rare exception of those in the commercial. 

I see the Trump pardons the last few days as just the latest in the ways that Presidents use the pardon for political purposes. It is one of the most Washington things Trump has done so far. 

Trump has actually already reformed criminal justice. Didn't his policy release/commute the sentence of like 3100 prisoners? I believe most of those were black as well.

So let's not act like he is advertising/campaigning on that and hasn't already done it.

Edit: I had Obama's number wrong, it was 1927. 

posted by jmog

Total pardons by President

Reagan-408 (8y)

GHW Bush-77 (4y)

Clinton-459 (8y)

GW Bush-200 (8y)

Obama-1715 (8y)

Trump-25 (3y)

 

You are upset about Trump's pardon's because the media is telling you to be. 

 

No one batted an eye when Obama was pardoning more people than the last 4 Presidents combined.

It's got nothing to do with past presidents. Nothing. For a guy who ran to clean out the old cronyism of DC, giving pardons like this shows a total lack of sincerity. Obama has nothing to do with it. 

By the way, I'm sitting in a hotel lounge where the TV is tuned to Fox News. There not telling me to be upset of Trump's pardons. They're telling me to be upset over Bloomberg's late entry into the race. 

posted by jmog

Trump has actually already reformed criminal justice. Didn't his policy release/commute the sentence of like 3100 prisoners? I believe most of those were black as well.

 

So let's not act like he is advertising/campaigning on that and hasn't already done it.

 

Edit: I had Obama's number wrong, it was 1927. 

Fair. Obama counted those sentences in his numbers where as Trump's did not due to it being due to the change in law. 

Still, Trump is acting just like every other President in the high profile pardons. 

Also, the new DNI appointment is horrible. 

By law, from the 2004 law that created the DNI, the person is supposed to be someone from the IC and be Senate confirmed. Trump is just putting in a loyal guy temporary to get around the requirements. 

The DNI is pretty much supposed to be the aggregator in chief from the various intelligent agencies to make sure nothing slips through the cracks....leading to another 9/11. 

Having a nonprofessional heading it does not help cordinate all the different agencies....

Wait, wait, wait on Rod Blagojevich. Trump said he didn't do the crime he was convicted of. I had no idea that Trump was able to get to the bottom of this warped justice like that. Trump said he didn't do it, so that should be good enough for us all. 

Making America Great Again ... one crony pardon at a time. 

Imagine QO et al if Obama had pardoned Blagojevich?  They'd go ballistic over the "rogue regime". 

To my knowledge, Rod did not actually receive anything for “selling the senate seat”.  But, if you are a Trump/Ukraine hoax believer, then obviously Rod should be locked be up for life.

posted by QuakerOats

To my knowledge, Rod did not actually receive anything for “selling the senate seat”.  But, if you are a Trump/Ukraine hoax believer, then obviously Rod should be locked be up for life.

 

Talk about misdirection - Rod went to prison long before Trump/Ukraine was on the radar - totally irrelevant.  It is funny watching blind followers now explaining why Blagovich - a name they certainly hadn't thought about in 10 years - is now suddenly the victim of a miscarriage of justice.  And perfect in the Trump playbook - the president said he didn't do it, so now you guys are out there taking up the mantra. 

Seriously QO, how is this not a pure swamp move?  

posted by ptown_trojans_1

Fair. Obama counted those sentences in his numbers where as Trump's did not due to it being due to the change in law. 

Still, Trump is acting just like every other President in the high profile pardons. 

 

So what you're really saying is, Trump did it the right way while Obama circumvented the law?  

posted by superman

So what you're really saying is, Trump did it the right way while Obama circumvented the law?  

Whataboutism. 

posted by Dr Winston O'Boogie

Whataboutism. 

You're a moron.

posted by superman

So what you're really saying is, Trump did it the right way while Obama circumvented the law?  

Huh?

No, not at all. 

Presidents have the right to pardon whoever for good or bad. There is no circumvention. The law that Trump used did not pass Congress before Obama left. Remember, Obama wanted to get it passed, but it died in the Senate. 

I'm more thinking about Trump recently, as he is behaving just like every other recent President in liking Executive Power and having the ability to pardon who he sees fit. 

Trump is not some outsider now, he has fully embraced the powers of the Executive Office. 

posted by superman

You're a moron.

Why do you have to go there?  I joke about whataboutism with a smile. 

Over the past 12 months, average hourly earnings for all U.S. employees on private non-farm payrolls increased from $27.58 to $28.44, or 3.1%, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Manufacturing outpaced the overall private sector with average hourly earnings expanding by 3.3%. 2/17/2020

Have a good weekend.

posted by ptown_trojans_1

Huh?

No, not at all. 

Presidents have the right to pardon whoever for good or bad. There is no circumvention. The law that Trump used did not pass Congress before Obama left. Remember, Obama wanted to get it passed, but it died in the Senate. 

I'm more thinking about Trump recently, as he is behaving just like every other recent President in liking Executive Power and having the ability to pardon who he sees fit. 

Trump is not some outsider now, he has fully embraced the powers of the Executive Office. 

Trump had the leadership ability to get it passed Obama didn't.  I know you'll never admit it but it's true.  

posted by superman

Trump had the leadership ability to get it passed Obama didn't.  I know you'll never admit it but it's true.  

I'm sure it's just Repubs weren't going to give that win to the Dems.  That only passed because some Dems in the House and Senate weren't willing to play politics with such an important piece of legislation, because clearly some of them would have faced a riot in their district if they had tried to oppose it.

posted by gut

I'm sure it's just Repubs weren't going to give that win to the Dems.  That only passed because some Dems in the House and Senate weren't willing to play politics with such an important piece of legislation, because clearly some of them would have faced a riot in their district if they had tried to oppose it.

Is that some sort of excuse to make it seem less important because it was Trump that got it done?

posted by gut

I'm sure it's just Repubs weren't going to give that win to the Dems.  That only passed because some Dems in the House and Senate weren't willing to play politics with such an important piece of legislation, because clearly some of them would have faced a riot in their district if they had tried to oppose it.

Maybe Obama should have tried reaching across the aisle and being a leader instead of "spiking the football."

posted by Spock

Is that some sort of excuse to make it seem less important because it was Trump that got it done?

No, that's me not thinking Trump had anything to do with it other than signing his name.

110,000 in the stadium in India for the Orange Man ------epic!

posted by QuakerOats

 

110,000 in the stadium in India for the Orange Man ------epic!

Well, he's fat enough to be mistaken for a cow

https://www.axios.com/farmers-income-insurance-federal-aid-bankruptcies-5a05b8cb-3348-447b-8bac-ee718fd409fd.html

Bringing India along to counter China.  More winning.

posted by QuakerOats

 

Bringing India along to counter China.  More winning.

That's been the U.S policy since W. Trump is just continuing the same.