Jump to content

Ghost of LL

Burnt Ends
  • Posts

    5828
  • Joined

  • Days Won

    1

Everything posted by Ghost of LL

  1. There was a lot of discussion about it during the transition (including this NBC News piece). And there are a variety of regulations on it. See, e.g., 31 C.F.R. 2.2. I don't think any of them say that a former vice president can retain documents in his garage. But I'm not at all clear that the law prohibits it. So that's the actus reus. Then there's also the mens rea. Unlike others who have clearance, former presidents and vice presidents aren't "read out" when they leave office. For other people, you get read out--a process during which you sign a statement saying that you aren't retaining any classified material and that you understanding that doing so would violate the Espionage Act. That signature provides evidence of the mens rea if it later comes out that you did, in fact, retain documents. Without that kind of evidence, it'd be really hard to prove that Biden "willfully" retained national security secrets.
  2. So the end result of this is that the cost of elections doubles? Or are they envisioning that a bunch of people wouldn't bother to get the second ballot? Because as the party of the poorly educated, I have bad news for how that's going to work out for Republicans.
  3. I don't have the first damned clue. My point is that from 2009 until today, Joe Biden has likely always had security clearance sufficient to possess any documents of which he is in possession. That has been the practice with previous presidents and vice presidents. An exception was made for Trump solely because of the factors I mentioned above.
  4. Let's just say that fundraisers in West Lake Hills attract a different--and I suspect, more attractive--crowed than a random rally that's open to the masses.
  5. I'm suggesting that it may not be illegal for someone to possess classified information that he is cleared to possess.
  6. So McCarthy says he's willing to "expunge" Trump's impeachment. Nevermind that that's not a thing. There's no constitutional mechanism for that, and it really doesn't make any sense. But whatever, Kevin--go ahead and lash yourself to the mast of that particular sinking ship.
  7. That’s just some real garbage officiating right there.
  8. Fucking Ryan Suter shouldn’t be anywhere near the ice in that situation.
  9. Former presidents and vice presidents typically retain clearance so that they can be used as a resource by the current president to provide advice and counsel. Trump’s clearance, however, was revoked because (1) nobody wants his advice and (2) he’s a fucking security risk.
  10. A big difference is that Biden has always had clearance. Trump’s was revoked when he left office.
  11. That’s a great shot by Tyler. I really wish Ryan Suter would suffer a career-ending injury.
  12. Well, ok. But possessing classified documents is not necessarily criminal.
  13. The crime isn't merely taking the documents. It's also in retaining them. And irrespective of whether Trump knowingly took the documents, it's very clear that he knowingly retained them. NARA asked for the documents back, and he said "fuck off."
  14. It's not "every bit as illegal as Trump" because intent is a huge part of the crime. We don't know if Biden had a culpable mens rea. That ought to be investigated. But you sound stupid when you say shit like this.
  15. McCarthy could have nipped this in the bud. But he needed the vote to win the speakership. So instead of a minor transitory scandal in January 2023, he's going to get a very large scandal sometime closer to the next election. I guarantee you it's something financial and it's very, very dirty. And the Democrats will make the Republicans in New York wallow in their association with George Santos. I swear, this is the exact accent of all my in-laws. Fuck--that dude is probably a cousin-in-law or some goddamned thing.
  16. I considered it. But it can't be the case. She doesn't know me well enough yet to realize that she doesn't like me.
  17. Guys--this isn't Mackenzie Kelly. She clearly says in the first sentence that this is Frank. Anyway--I'd rather have Kelly represent me than Ellis. And I agree with the vast majority of Ellis's policy positions and virtually none of Kelly's. But if I'd have called Fitlump after APD drew down on Mrs.LL in her own goddamned backyard, I bet I'd hear back from her. From Ellis, I got silence.
  18. The host was genuinely terrible. Most of his big jokes landed with an absolute thud. I was very interested in the pianist. I was very very interested in the tall redhead handing out the trophies.
  19. It almost sounds like a "dry lease"--those tanks are going to be loaned or leased to the Ukrainians and operated by Ukrainian crews, but remain in the Polish army. And I have to tell you--I'm not in love with that arrangement. Anyway--I'd love to hear @Shady Ray's assessment. We haven't heard from that cat in a while.
  20. Right now, it's the latter. But the storms are now moving into the Central Valley and on into the mountains, where it can be held in reservoirs. What's really needed is for these storms to make their way between Salt Lake City and Denver to dump in the Colorado River watershed. There's been some in that area, but they need a lot more.
  21. Well, her opponent this last go around was a Trumpkin. Her district is probably 75% Democratic, and when the Travis County Democratic Party clears the field with the exception of a right-winger, reelection is pretty fucking easy. But it really is amazing. During her reelection campaign, I didn't see or hear a damned thing from her. I did meet her at a campaign event for Beto. I introduced myself and told her that I lived in her district. And do you know what she did? Not a fucking thing. She walked off. Her complete lack of give-a-shit really is amazing.
  22. It really is unbelievable. She has one of the most politically active and communicative districts, and she does absolutely nothing. I've tried to contact her on multiple occasions, and never gotten anything by way of response.
  23. Yeah--that's something those east coast cities have over Austin or Dallas or Houston. From New York or Philadelphia or Boston or DC, you can drive two hours and be in some of the most beautiful natural areas on the continent. Austin and Dallas are as far from a national park as any place in America. And that kind of sucks.
  24. It was not good. Just painfully not good. I wanted it to be good. I wanted to like it. I couldn't.
×
×
  • Create New...