The year was 1974. President Richard Nixon was less than 6 months out from his second midterm election cycle as President. But having been told by his most faithful Senators that a humiliating impeachment conviction awaited him in his Senate trial, Tricky Dick was forced to take it on the lam. Gerald Ford, who had never run for either President or Vice President, was suddenly occupying the Oval Office.
Almost before the maintenance crew could steam clean the Nixon stench out of the Oval Office, new President Ford made a momentous decision. The Watergate investigation and the House impeachment hearings had torn the country apart. The GOP was already assured to pretty much lose seats in the midterms. The thought of a Justice Department indictment of former President Nixon on criminal charges would drag out all the way into the 1976 election cycle. For the good of healing the nation, Ford pardoned Nixon. Which allowed Nixon to continue his delusions all the way up to his death. Ford’s decision directly sowed the seeds of his defeat in 1076 by infuriating a country that wanted justice.
Attorney General Garland, Can you hear me now? Since, unlike Ford, it is inconceivable that President Biden would so much as pardon Trump for a parking ticket, this whole mess is now sitting in your lap. And here is where the above history lesson comes into play. No matter how well intentioned President Ford’s intentions may have been in pardoning Trump, with his pardon, He tacitly made Trump’s criminal excesses possible in the first place! because Trump may not know what year the War of 1912 started, but he sure as shit knew that Nixon got away with everything he pulled as President.
Pay attention Attorney General Garland. The vast majority of the American population is no less pissed off this time around than they were after the excess criminal behavior of Nixon. And just like with Nixon, you have a slam dunk case already sitting on your desk!
In his final report, Special Counsel Robert Mueller made it abundantly clear that the only reason that they didn’t recommend indicting President Trump for obstruction of justice was the DOJ’s OLC ruling that a sitting President can’t be indicted. That’s not an issue anymore, and the nice part is that those charges don’t stale date under the statute of limitations for at least another year yet. The charges are largely ready to file.
But there is so much more to do. Perp walk Wilbur Ross out of his McMansion for his perjury in his testimony to congress over the immigration question on the census. Have a team of lawyers take a serious look at the Interior Department’s Inspector General’s investigation into Ryan Zinke’s corruption, including his role in awarding the Puerto Rico electric restoration project to a mom and pop bodega operation in his home state. Why not have a forensic accounting team look into Trump’s criminal abuses of the Emoluments Clause of the Constitution for accepting foreign government money at his hotels on order to curry favor with the President? Don’t even get me started on Tubby the Ewok, and Mike Pompeo. You have Inspector General reports coming out of your ass!
Because you only have one chance to get this right. France has convicted former Presidents for corruption. Italy has convicted former Prime Ministers for corruption. And now that the despicable Bibi Netanyahu is no longer the Prime Minister of Israel, he has all the time in the world to prepare for the upcoming trial for himself and his wife for corruption. But enough about them.
We’re the ones with the sacred principle that No man is above the law. And it’s about goddamn time that we stepped up to the plate and proved it. Because Trump was emboldened by the fact that Nixon got off scot free. The current GOP is hell bent to turn themselves into the party of Trump. It’s only a natter of time until another scumbag comes along who is a little slicker and less abrasive. And when that happens, only swift and sure retribution is going to save the day. Make the statement.
Follow me on Twitter at @RealMurfster35
Watergate was a two-year investigation before Nixon resigned. the one for the insurrection is moving much faster – so far. They’re building the case against the higher ups, and Garland is keeping his fingers out of it.
Perfect argument and reasoning. One small thing, I suspect is a typo. When you said ” No matter how well intentioned President Ford’s intentions may have been in pardoning Trump,” I think you meant to say “in pardoning Nixon”.
Fiid point…An unnecessary dup;lication…Thanks for catching it…
Don’t know why we even pretend to have the rule of law in this country. Nixon, Reagan and Bush were all crooks and traitors. It wasn’t us hippies that destroyed the morals of this country it was the fact that rich guys didn’t go to jail. It was also the draft. The murdering Klan and the white juries that let them go free. They killed it. Reagan allowing unions to be decimated by criminal companies and beginning of a perpetual economic depressions for the majority of Americans. Oh well. Fun times.
To me reagan was the antichrist. lee daniels the butler made him look like a good guy. his administration was full of criminals. just like trump.
Not to mention the criminal Nixon placing cannabis in schedule 1 in an effort to put the Vietnam war protesters & the civil rights protesters in jail when THEY KNEW it was a lie to do so. 25million citizens criminalized by these criminals. Obama also didn’t overturn this lie although most were minorities & poor white kids who carry these false charges. Meanwhile the folks who got rich off tobacco, alcohol & opiates, which have killed millions, walk free. EVIL HYPOCRISY.
Or maybe ALL of us could just abstain from tobacco, alcohol, opiates and marijuana. Then no one goes to jail and no one gets rich off other people’s vices. Do you want to know who is rushing to take advantage of the loosened cannabis rules? GOP farmers who suddenly want to make cannabis their cash crop.
Proof your writing dude.
I’ve followed Murfster since back on kos, and I recall from those days his eyesight was really, really bad and deteriorating with nothing that could be done about it. Unless I’m mistaken it was said that was the reason he didn’t post more stuff and/or sometimes went a while not posting anything at all. Semi-ok days & bad days I gather. As a result I for one cut him a little slack on the typos.
true, who among us have never had a typo error, don’t get me started on spell check
Denis, ditto. I’ve learned to just read around Murph’s endearing gaffes. ?
Obama did not investigate bush ii. and cheney as well. I suspect bush ii could have pulled up some stuff on Clinton. Biden is an old school guy. I suspect he will follow the ford path forward. tradition is that presidents do not get investigated out of office.
Interesting article as always, Murfster. I hope the DOJ takes some action, but justice goes slowly. Keep breathing.
Does anyone know what user karma is? Not that I want any! Just don’t know what it means. Thx
That’s so cute that you think an invertebrate like Garland would have the cajones to go after Trump.
There’s a reason no one fought for his SCOTUS nomination. Bland as skim milk and Biden just wants to make it through his term so he can say he was president. Then watch as Cami the cop gets Hillaried in 2024.
Don’t look for any bold moves from these clowns.