"It would set a bad precedent"

[edhopper]

I have heard this excuse about going after Trump in the MSM too many times. Whether it is prosecuting him for crimes before and while in office, or revoking his security clearance, or making public all his records. It would set a bad precedent for future Presidents.
Oh my fucking God! If we can't hold this corrupt excuse for a President accountable, who can we. Are the laws meant to protect this country from a lawless leader completely meaningless.
If not him, who the fuck would we? Does stealing an election grant the asshole complete immunity from any consequences?

[Turbineguy]

1. Cutting off Louis XVI head

didn't set a bad precedent.

[Escurumbele]

15. LOL - Good one, and I agree...

[Traildogbob]

24. LOL

I love that as a reasonable consequence.
Serve it to Fox on a platter.

[RKP5637]

2. What it would ensure is someone worse than Trump and more skilled will come along and take

advantage of the precedent set by Trump if their are no consequences.

[Turbineguy]

32. And you know

the republicans are out there scouring the dregs for a suitable candidate.

[RKP5637]

36. Yep, exactly!!! Their goal is not cooperation, but overthrow!!! n/t

[Timewas]

3. This time

If this is allowed to pass they will lose a lot of voters...If the law does not apply to all it should not apply to any

[CrispyQ]

6. +1

We make a HUGE mistake assuming all those new and first time voters will return to the polls in 2022 & 2024.

[RKP5637]

39. K&R!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! n/t

[treestar]

4. If you listen to the Bagman podcast (Rachel Maddow)

It can have its effect. Prosecutors made a deal with Agnew so that he would resign. Though the stakes were higher there, as Agnew would have become President without that deal, and two Presidents in a row going down as corrupt might have been too much.

Here, Trumpy has finished his term. If they are going on the idea that it might promote other Presidents going after their political opposition just for the purpose of persecution of their opposition, I think there is an argument that it would not, because Trumpy actually did do a lot of things that broke the law and so the motive is no one is above the law, not just harassing him due to his policy differences.

[edhopper]

8. It is giving in to blackmail

if we don't because they will come after ours.

[CrispyQ]

5. Our side has been setting bad precedent for years.

The reason the repubs keep pushing extremes is because our side has never held them accountable. This clusterfuck is partly our fault, but no one wants to admit that.

[edhopper]

7. Yes

the bad precedent is not prosecuting law breakers.

[sarchasm]

10. THIS x 1000!

[usaf-vet]

26. THIS x 1000 x 2

[Tommymac]

13. Our side receives mega $$$$ from the same 1% controlled sources as the Repukes

Maybe not as much, but I personally consider it 'Hush Money'

Been that way since the 1970's at least. Our side may not push the rotten inhuman agenda, but damn if a lot (not nearly all) of those in our leadership positions get paid to STFU about all of it.

Fact of life - We The People are the only one's who can change it, the problem being it is an exhausting long term job to do the clean up in aisle 2020 and folks are generally not good at long term jobs.

[stillcool]

14. Not our side. Our country.

all of us. Now the chickens are all coming home to roost, and while it may feel good to blame a bunch of someone's, it does nothing to affect change, or make progress. I think the problem with accountability is the law. 'National security', and 'privileged information' are a brick wall that makes it difficult/impossible to submit evidence of a crime that would to lead to a conviction. But that's more about the consequences of prosecuting an administration for crimes the U.S. Government committed against another country, and it's people. Not the crimes of an individual.

A Brief History of U.S. Interventions:
1945 to the Present
by William Blum
Z magazine , June 1999
http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Blum/US_Interventions_WBlumZ.html

"Since World War Two the United States has attempted to overthrow more than fifty foreign governments, it has dropped bombs on the people of around thirty countries, has attempted to assassinate some sixty foreign leaders, helped to suppress dozens of populist or nationalist movements, has tortured many thousands, and seriously and illegally intervened in one way or another in virtually every country on the planet, in the process of which the U.S. has caused the end of life for several million people, and condemned many millions more to a life of agony and despair."
William Blum, in a speech at the University of Vermont, 2007

[CrispyQ]

33. Ah yes, William Blum, the man who Bin Laden said Americans should read.

And he's right. Blum should be required reading in high school. I wish someone would update that document you linked to.

[stillcool]

34. yeah, it's a great site

really informative during the Bush years. For me, geo-politics is like a black-hole, and the U.S. Military is like another country.
http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/

[smirkymonkey]

31. +1000

[Bettie]

37. Yep, there need to be consequences

Reagan's administration was corrupt...but we let it go.

W's administration was corrupt, but we moved on for "civility"

If it were the other way around, they would never stop, they would burn our party to the ground.

We need to burn them to the ground, to hammer it home every time there is a camera on any Democrat, the word should be Unprecedented Corruption. Hang the label around their necks like a millstone, Republicans: The part of corruption.

[apnu]

9. in 2008, this was said of W.

This is always said when Republicans leave office.

It was said of HW when he left in 1992.

[sarchasm]

11. KnR

[volstork]

12. Not throwing Nixon

under the jail is what set a bad precedent. It also led directly to the circumstances that face us now.

[Tommymac]

16. Could argue McCarthy set the stage in the late 1940's.

With his Red Scare' tactics primarily used as a political attack by the 'Mainstream' GOP to unseat Truman.

The ruined lives and reputations were just collateral damage - the Rethugs cheated and used lies to regain a National Mandate after 20 years in the FDR hinterland.

Trump and Trumpism is nothing new to the GOP.

[volstork]

28. Excellent point.

"Have you no decency, sir??"

No, they don't.

[Escurumbele]

17. I strongly believe that if all these crooks are no made accountable that it will affect Democracy

much more than if the contrary occurs. We already lived through the "move forward" from the Obama presidency, and no matter how much we like and admire Obama (I already have his book), that is something that I will not forgive him because I feel that allowing Bush, Chaney, et all, get out of jail free is part of the reason trump felt he could run, the reason why the republican party has corrupted itself so much, and the reason why next time a worst than trump will run for the republicans, and this time it will be someone with brains and charisma.

The people who support trump will be very happy if the buffoon does not suffer any consequences for his crimes, but then again these people do not much care about Democracy, but those of us who do care will feel abandoned and fooled which could have a backlash for next elections and those supporting Democrats will not go out to vote. I mean, why should I vote if the crooks are not going to be made accountable for their crimes? What good is Democracy and the rule of law if Democrats refuse to enforce it.

We all know that if the show were on the other side that republicans would be pounding to get Democrats in jail, they even do it while making up stuff...

[volstork]

29. Wish i could rec this

x1,000,000

[Leith]

18. The orange monster IS a bad precedent

and president.

Everything he said, did, or was is a bad precedent.

They better get ready for a decade of "you were fine with chump doing worse so shut yer traps." I'll be saying that to every rethug for who tries any such crap the rest of my life.

[Hotler]

19. Notice that we do not hear the phrase "Nobody is above the law." anymore.

It was hot for awhile. I think Joe said it a couple of times.
You do not let the fascist leader and henchmen of an attempted take over (coup) of the the government walk. On the other side of the world some citizens would have ended this themselves.

[Happy Hoosier]

20. Ya know what sets a bad precedent?

Allowing a President to be de facto above the law. If we REALLY have equal justice under law, he MUST be held accountable. Or it WILL happen again, because why not? There are not consequences in failure to subvert the Republic for personal and political gain.

[CloudWatcher]

21. Ford's pardon was a terrible precedent

The concept of a president being above the law will destroy our democracy. Ford's terrible precedent must be reversed and the GOP must be held accountable for embracing Trump over the rule of law.

Our democracy has only survived due to the total incompetence of Trump and his sycophants. If they had been just a little smarter we would now have a dictator. And as Trump has tweeted, elections would no longer be necessary.

If we don't hold them accountable, there will be a next time. And we can't count on them being Trump-class stupid.

[robbob]

22. "Bad precedent"??? WTAF???

This entire shit show of a presidency has been defined by tRump setting “bad precedents”. From day one the media has told us he’s “different”, “unvarnished”, and his brain dead supporters admired his “straight talk” as he continuously debased and diminished the office he held. And now he’s peddling lies and conspiracy theories while refusing to acknowledge the results of the election? And they have the unmitigated nerve to warn Biden against doing anything that might be considered setting a “bad precedent”?

It’s official folks, the Democratic Party is returning to the highest office. Please ignore the last 4 years while everybody recalibrates their rage meters...

[tiredtoo]

23. Letting him off scot-free would set a bad precedent! EOM

[Brainfodder]

25. Off the hook after all this crap? I don't see it.

Too much $ pilfered... and in this modern age, trails await while trials abate?

[Martin Eden]

27. Pursing justice and enforcing the rule of law

Is a bad precedent??!!!

Shouldn't matter whether the indivudual is a joe sixpack or president -- NOBODY should be above the law.

[usaf-vet]

30. Who thinks the repugs are lining up now to help Biden and Harris fix the damage.

I don't!

I believe they will booby trap everything they can to hinder Biden.

So in my mind, I want to make the record clear you F with us, and we will not only look at tRump and his grifters but we will dig back into the brush and find the aides to the aides and investigate anyone who emptied the trash.

We need to clean out the corruption that tRump has made commonplace.

[William769]

35. K&R

[SKKY]

38. Perhaps, but I would argue that it would right a worse precedent.