TWGB: The Truth Still Matters

The funny thing about Trump ally Roger Stone being sentenced to 40 months in prison, which falls short of the original sentencing request from the DOJ prosecutors, which was later amended to a lighter sentence request, which lead to the resignation from the trial of some of the prosecutors, which was followed by today's prosecution team offering the original guidelines (did you keep all that straight?)--is that Judge Berman Jackson was probably going to go with 40 months anyway. All that foofaraw was...unnecessary? The judge was always going to take multiple factors into account. Stone certainly didn't help himself by flouting the limits of the gag order regarding the trial, etc., but in the end, the sentencing wasn't abusive.

Of course, Trump can decide to pardon Stone. What he can't really do, though, is fully exonerate him.  A pardon would relieve Stone of the penalty he was sentenced to, but doesn't erase that he was tried and found guilty in a court of law, that the evidence was actually against him, and would only serve to highlight part of what the judge said at sentencing:

"He was not prosecuted, as some have complained, for standing up for the President. He was prosecuted for covering up for the President."

 A pardon might be considered something the president has as part of his executive power, but to use it as part of a pattern of corrupt behavior, such as obstruction of justice regarding investigations into himself or related parties of interest is a clear abuse. It shouldn't be used to undermine the judiciary, or to serve as a bribe to encourage acts of obstruction or other violations of the law.

Which is relevant because in other recent news, it was confirmed by former Rep. Dana Rohrabacher that he went to see Julian Assange and offered that Trump would pardon him if he would provide evidence that the DNC was not hacked by Russia. It's hard to determine how much impetus that might have had from the Trump side of things, since then-COS Kelly was actually performing a reasonable level of gatekeeping at the time (but the man couldn't be everywhere, could he?) and Rohrabacher strikes me as the kind of guy who could use his own initiative (he went with rumored floor-shitter and actual Holocaust-denier Charles C. Johnson, so place your bets folks--these are weird people).

It would be worth a little investigation though, you think? Of course, I don't think anyone expected Assange to ever dime out his "sources" regarding the DNC hack because he was active in promoting the Seth Rich hoax just like Michael Cohen's third client and for some weird reason everybody's go-between, Sean Hannity.  What is interesting is still the extent that Trump goes to pretend that Russia never was involved in 2016. Like his talk of the 400 lb. mystery guy who did the hack, His asseverations that he believes Putin. His promotion of the very wrong and debunked Crowd Strike hoax, which was a big part of his own damn dumb stupid impeachment, which was just recently handled very well by 60 Minutes.

For goodness' sake--it was Russia!  They did actually do a shit-ton of bots and social media ads. The help is pretty hard to deny. Except--Trump is still denying it, and because he's president, the results are far more destructive.

It comes out that the sudden installation of Ric Grenell, current Ambassador to Germany, Trump loyalist and former internet troll, to Acting DNI has a little bit to do with what should be a routine update on election security to the House Intelligence Committee, Apparently, both parties on the committee were briefed regarding the security of our elections and the intent of Russia and other foreign actors to again interfere. Trump, in his paranoid and guilty little mind, took that to mean that the Deep State was telling on him to Lil' Shifty Schiff and the rest. And thus, a competent acting DNI (who was limited by the vacancies act, regardless, but still was at least, qualified for intelligence experience) is being replaced for now by someone who does not have intel experience and will be advised by another loyalist, Devin Nunes associate Kash Patel.  (Yeah. That Kash Patel.)

Oh well. Grenell won't be there for long, and it's only an outside shot that Trump will appoint Rep. Doug Collins. Who really wants to run for Senate, and really, I would love that more than having him as DNI.

Anyway, this year is going to stay weird, and I just want to end with another important quote from Amy Berman Jackson: The truth still matters. Some people want to make a regular habit of passing off on the truth, ignoring it, acting like business as usual while our institutions are under assault by people who have been entrusted with real power, but seem to have no respect for what care and duty and time and history have built up.

We all need to care. Truth matters. And Trump is the one who wants truth buried, and encourages lies. I would far prefer a president who said things that stung, if they were only true.