What is Merrick Garland doing to help save our country?

[Cyrano]

Have the Republicans taken him hostage?

Have the MAGAs kidnapped him and replaced him with an AI replica?

Does Putin have something on him?

Actually, I don't believe any of those scenarios. Garland has always been a dedicated professional who fervently believes in the Constitution. This is a man who has always stood for and defended the best concepts of America.

So what's he doing to protect America right now? I don't know. But if I had to guess, I believe he's intentionally keeping, whatever it is he's up to, out of public view.

Why the silence? Here's my opinion. When you're trying to gather evidence to indict a former United States president, it's not something you're going to announce. Were he to do so, the alphabet of wingnut organizations would be running amok in the streets. Therefore, saying nothing is the wisest thing to do.

Maybe a bit more trust in Garland is needed. I know this won't stop the bitching, but I'm more than willing to be patient and give him more time.

And let me repeat the important idea in this post: When you're going after TFG, you don't announce it.

[Budi]

1. I believe Garland's DOJ is bringing down the entire mob. Not just the chief distractor.

I can wait a while for that ...

[OLDMDDEM]

20. I agree with you. nt.

[we can do it]

31. My hopes too. Patience is a virtue.

[ShazzieB]

37. Amen to this!

[LetMyPeopleVote]

52. I agree

Ethically Garland cannot make press releases just to make some people happy. The DOJ is doing a great deal. I was amazed at how fast the DOJ announced that executive privilege would not be available to former white house staff with respect to the 1/6 investigation

[Eyeball_Kid]

2. You have a knack for the reasonable.

Garland stated yesterday that the FBI is looking into the events of 1/6. While saying little else, he stated what many were wanting to hear. And dealing with DOJ silence on the matter has been maddening. Basically, the FBI is gathering evidence, and that's the minimum Garland has said. So many of us, myself included, have grown deeply skeptical of the DOJ and Garland because of the extended silence regarding anything indirectly associated with Trump. But now, we at least know of the FBI's direction, and that helps.

[NewHendoLib]

5. you didn't even read the post. It is NOT a slam on Garland. It is a slam on those who slam him.

[mcar]

43. My bad

Sorry for the knee jerk.

[johnp3907]

7. Didn't read it, did you?

[ShazzieB]

44. I almost didn't read it myself.

I read the subject line and the first few (1 sentence) paragraphs, said, "Oh, great, another Garland bashing post," and moved on. I'd bet serious money a lot of other people did the same, and I think it's perfectly understandable.

Should I have read a little farther? Ideally, yes. But I was disgusted by what I had already read and not interested in reading YET ANOTHER Garland bashing post, so I stopped. I now regret having done so, but I certainly don't blame anyone else for doing the same thing. There have been way too many posts here accusing the man of not doing his job, written by people who in actuality have no idea what he's doing or not doing, and I'm frankly sick of it.

If I were the o.p., I'd add a note at the top of the post, alerting people to the fact that it's actually not a Garland bashing post. Just a thought.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

4. Didn't you just post this yesterday?

[Cyrano]

8. Nope.

[Fiendish Thingy]

6. Your weekly newsletter updating progress on various investigations and prosecutions must be lost

In the mail due to DeJoy’s shenanigans.

I got mine last week, and boy, has Garland been busy, lots stuff coming down the pipeline…

In the meantime, checkout emptywheel.net for updates and analysis of January 6 prosecutions and more.

[Joinfortmill]

50. 👍

[

[lagomorph777]

9. OK. So why is he letting the insurrectionists off with a slap on the wrist (or less)?

Multiple judges have now complained that DOJ's prosecutors are under-charging the perps, and recommending unreasonably lenient sentencing.

The part we can see in public is pretty discouraging.

[maxsolomon]

14. Probably because they're pawns.

The instigators, who will be harder to convict, deserve harsher sentences.

[lagomorph777]

22. We have to make the easy convictions to show the others that we're serious.

And for bargaining power as we (theoretically) go up the food chain.

[Scrivener7]

26. So what? That shouldn't stop them from giving appropriate sentences.

[maxsolomon]

51. I was speculating. I too, want appropriate sentencing.

Perhaps prosecutors are trading lighter sentence recommendations for guilty pleas...

[Scrivener7]

53. I think you're probably right. And I really hope that is not for the sake of

clearing their in-boxes.

[poli-junkie]

10. It would be nice if we knew

the FBI is investigating the seditionist Steve Bannon — that guy creeps me out

[Joinfortmill]

49. Full blown fascist.

[agingdem]

12. I agree..

Garland is quiet and judicious, and the right man for the job..I want revenge.. that's what it is...as much as anyone but right now I want his resources directed at voting rights/voter suppression, the abortion issue, and malignant racism...and when Garland is ready to reveal the Justice Department's meticulously documented and investigated Trump accountability plan it won't be with a bullhorn, it will be with subpoenas...

[Cyrano]

15. I don't want "revenge." I want justice.

Regarding all the other critical issues, voter rights/suppression, abortion, institutional racism, and so, so much more, yeah, I too want to see him address them. I also want to see him walk on water.

[agingdem]

16. Justice for the Trump years is revenge...

Last edited Tue Oct 5, 2021, 03:51 PM - Edit history (1)

Trump and his family tried and convicted is justice and revenge...Trump had four very long murderous years to dismantle democracy...Garland's been in the job since March...

[Marius25]

13. Well, prosecutors under him definitely aren't taking

the insurrection seriously. They're being chastised by Judges for giving insurrectionists slaps on the wrist.

I'm not convinced Garland takes this threat seriously enough.

[bucolic_frolic]

39. At all costs you want to avoid acquittals, and that means avoiding trials

You don't want tainted juries letting some off, while others are convicted. So you make the plea deals light so they will be accepted. It also helps heal. You don't want martyrs, and you don't want to embitter the rioters lest they rebound. Slow as it seems, this speeds up the whole process. As you move up the chain of command it will be more competitive. You must go at the source. There were no masterminds in the insurrection shock troops. The planners were safely protected so they could take power if it succeeded.

[Scrivener7]

54. You also don't want a Beer Hall Putsch.

[Fix The Stupid]

17. But how is it possible to "keeping... out of public view"?

If there were secret investigations going on, like everyone here says is happening, how would those already being investigated be able to keep it quiet?

If he went after one of these douches, wouldn't said douche just go on fox and say "witchhunt, the left is after me, gov't tyranny, etc, etc", to rile up their base and the right wing noise machine?

I can see how the intent would be to keep everything hush-hush, but I can't see how those being 'secretly' investigated would or could remain quiet.

[Scrivener7]

21. Shhhh. You'll upset them.

(But that's a very logical observation.)

[Bluethroughu]

24. Umm maybe fox has been served?

Who knows where this is going, but we all factually know who put together and gave aid to the "save murica" rally, and who incited and directed those rubes where to go and what to do. It's on tape.

The ones in the back ground are the ones that will be interesting. All are treasonous scum.

[Bluethroughu]

18. He's silent because Jan. 6th, was an attack, planned and orchestrated by a sitting pResident

Elected members of Congress, members of police, military and some interest of a sitting Supreme Court Justice's wife.

He is tasked with saving World Democracy from these grifting terrorists.

We fall, we take Democracy with us.

Our military resources in the wrong hands, keeps the rest of the world up at night.

[Cyrano]

19. Exactly

[Budi]

23. Thank you.

[Joinfortmill]

48. Yup

[ecstatic]

25. Just look at the slap on the wrists the insurrectionists are getting

A serious crime has been committed and the victims/witnesses are in the dark about what--if anything--will ever be done about it. I'm sure there's a healthy middle ground between spilling his entire playbook and leaving millions of Americans feeling panicked, like the country is on the brink of collapse.

[Scrivener7]

27. 4 months for storming the Capitol. In the old days, that was called a Beer Hall Putsch.

[Pepsidog]

28. Not going down Mueller Rd. again.

[Zeitghost]

29. I wouldn't hold my breath

Nothing will happen to TFG or any of his inner circle for anything that happened as a part of his Administration or the events of 1/6/21.

Some minor players might get swept up, his business dealings and tax issues might cause some problems and there might be some campaign finance issues, but nothing of any real trouble to the ring leaders or the clown himself.

I may be wrong, thankfully for this prediction, we will all know the answer in the next 3 years. Something tells me those who continually trash anyone questioning the Biden administrations eagerness to prosecute the previous administration are going to have some egg on their faces when this all plays out.

Many will say the investigation is being kept behind the scenes, but that's not at all how it would work. You don't just drop charges on a former President out of the blue, two years later after a secret investigation. Trying the case in the media is 90% of the battle, if not more.

Above all else, they aren't going to bring a case of such magnitude and risk losing, it's far too risky. Not only would it consume Biden's entire term, it would be an absolute disaster for 2024 if Trump beat the rap. And seating an impartial jury would be impossible. It's simply not going to happen.

[bucolic_frolic]

36. +1

[Scrivener7]

55. I am very afraid you are correct. I will be ecstatic if I am wrong about that.

[ancianita]

30. Merrick Garland, Republican that he is, is doing a FUCKTON to save our country.

By my count as of October 4 2021, thanks to seditiontracker.com, Merrick Garland has

1.
CHARGED 623 in 45 states

2.
INDICTED 297 in 26 states

3.
SENTENCED 11 in 8 states

AND

4.
CONVICTED 91 IN 28 STATES.

Merrick? Even though you're a Republican, YOU ARE A BADASS AMERICAN PATRIOT!

[Joinfortmill]

47. 👍

[Alexander Of Assyria]

32. Gathering evidence to prosecute and convict the many seditionists beyond all shadow of a doubt?

The Nuremberg Trials took a while to get underway also, if memory serves.

[Solomon]

33. Merry (Merrick) Fitzmueller!

[Mr. Ected]

34. Although I tend to agree with the OP

This was exactly what we were telling ourselves during the Mueller investigation. Silence was a tactic, not a symptom.

We were dead wrong about that.

[bucolic_frolic]

35. The whole thing is complicated

TFG is at the nexus of everything, so unraveling can have adverse consequences. Every move must be carefully considered.

[ancianita]

38. Really? Cuz I always thought that we know that "complicated" is gray and "moral" is Democratic.

We have a very real moral basis for democratic politics and TFG is not at the nexus of ANYTHING.

[bucolic_frolic]

40. If there's dirt, he knows it. /nt

[berni_mccoy]

41. This rings true to me.

[Escurumbele]

42. "he's intentionally keeping, whatever it is he's up to, out of public view." What worries me is that

we all said the same thing about Muller...Muller will neve allow leaks, Muller is keeping a tight ship on the investigation, Muller will come up with the goods AND HE WILL DEFINITELY FIND THEM!...Muller etc., etc....

Well, what happened with Muller's investigation? NOTHING!

I am very worried that Garland is going the same way...what is happening to our political and judicial system, why are people so afraid?

I have always been an optimist, but in regards to what is going on I am starting to loose faith. People are too apathetic about what is going on, they don't want to listen, they don't want to accept that IT CAN HAPPEN HERE like it has happened to many other countries.

The entire World is going nuts, and I understand why, because the very rich and the politicians have made the World a worst place, greed has taken over, people are tired of the lies and do not believe they can do anything about it so they rather focus on their lives, their kids, not understanding that inaction and apathy about what is going on will only make things worse.

The buffoon did a job on the entire USA in the four years he played president, he created anxiety, division, hate, and the good people are tired.

[Joinfortmill]

45. Totally agree.

[NewHendoLib]

46. the lesson in this thread ..slow down and read the post!

Twitter and content less posts are making people lazy. Reading... it's fundamental!

[Alexander Of Assyria]

56. Hallelujah brother...but does social media judgment have anything other than fast lanes?