Dana Bash to Adam Schiff: Is Merrick Garland letting Trump off the hook?

[spanone]

Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) says he wonders why the Department of Justice and Attorney General Merrick Garland haven't pursued an investigation into

former President Donald Trump's effort to overturn the 2020 election results in a key state.

Video: https://www.cnn.com/videos/politics/2021/11/28/adam-schiff-trump-merrick-garland-department-of-justice-sotu-sot-vpx.cnn

[Doremus]

1. Schiff for Attorney General, asap

[Peregrine Took]

2. +1,000,000

[SoCalDavidS]

3. Nothing Will Happen

I think that we tend to get worked up over everything, expecting justice and accountability to make it better. Then, eventually, we become depressed once we realize and accept it’s not going to occur. Heck, I allow it to get myself angry, and I don’t even believe anything will come of these situations.

I said 3 years ago, that he and his cronies would get away with everything illegal they did. NOTHING has come along to change my belief.

I have learned to accept this country for what it is.

[malaise]

4. Something will happen

and sooner than you think - that is all

[CentralMass]

6. I appreciate your optimism malaise but I do not share it.

[SoCalDavidS]

10. I Also Appreciate Your Optimism

Mad respect for you, as you're a DU Veteran with a very high post count.

I feel bad that I have to be with the group that expects Zilch to happen, rather than those like yourself, who think accountability & justice are on the way. I'm certainly not going to attack your outlook, especially since it would bring me immense joy to see you proven right, and me have to act contrite and say how utterly wrong I was.

I am ready to celebrate even the tiniest victory. I cried when I heard Bannon had been indicted. I'm still waiting for something to actually come of that as well, but if it does, and he spends significant time behind bars, perhaps I'll be ready to come to your side. Until then, I remain highly skeptical.

[Leith]

11. Well, Sooner-Than-I-Think

happened months ago.

Now I won't be happy with anything less than it's-coming-down-on-them-a-hell-of-a-lot-harder-than-I-thought-it-would.

[panader0]

5. I couldn't get the video to load on my pos computer.

What did Schiff say?

[Poiuyt]

21. He basically said that if there's a DOJ investigation going on it's very quiet

Dana Bash quoted a judge who said that an "elected official" was behind the insurrection and were not being held accountable. She then asked Schiff if the DOJ was letting Trump et al off the hook. Schiff mentioned the Georgia phone call and said that if it were you or I, we'd be under investigation, if not already indicted.

You could tell that Schiff is getting frustrated with the Justice Department.

[Bayard]

7. Schiff was my first choice for AG

I'm sure he'd be knee deep in investigations and indictments by now.

[DFW]

8. I don't think Garland is letting Trump off the hook

But I DO think he will not bring an indictment until he is relatively sure he can get a conviction. The last thing Garland wants is a Rittenhouse-style show trial with Trump as defendant and a decent chance of getting off so he can crow about it on Fox Noise for the next two years.

I'm sure that if Schiff were AG, he would adopt the same stance.

[malaise]

9. And he has a hell of a record of getting things right

[erronis]

12. Thank you. My sentiments and expectations.

[gab13by13]

13. You can't get a conviction

if you don't even investigate.

[DFW]

16. If an investigation is underway

The last thing I would do is put my cards on the table before I knew I had a winning hand.

[gab13by13]

25. I understand,

but the whole world heard the audio of Trump, they know that Meadows used his government G-mail to try to get Georgia officials to change the results of a certified election. Those are documented items. If you have 3 aces and 2 kings in your hand one doesn't need to throw away the 2 kings to try to draw in the 4th ace, play the hand that you have, it is strong.

[DFW]

30. I understand completely

But I am no jurist, and don't know what I need to have airtight case. I think this is like brain surgery. Many know what is going on, but only a very few know exactly what is needed to achieve a positive result. I wish I would be able to say I knew something definitive after watching a season of House, MD, but I can't. The only thing I know I have seen is the result of what happens when a case is brought before it should have been--it ends with a frustrating acquittal of an obviously guilty party.

[HUAJIAO]

15. I'm sure that if Schiff were AG, he would adopt the same stance.

I'm not sure I understand. Then why is Schiff basically saying he hasn't seen that Garland is doing what he should be doing?

[GoCubsGo]

20. Yep, he's not going to show his hand until he's ready.

I also suspect that Adam Schiff has seen that hand, or part of it, and he's just feigning ignorance here.

[DFW]

23. It's what I would do in his position

I'm not party to any of this, of course, and I want to see spectacular results as much as the next person, but the LAST thing I want to see is a rushed action, based on perceived political pressure, that would risk letting Trump parade around like a male peacock with an exoneration brought on by a premature case brought against him. NOTHING would be worth that.

[HUAJIAO]

14. I'm just a drummer. But, my opinion is that Garland isn't doing anything.

I hope he proves me wrong.

ADAM for AG !!!

[tiredtoo]

17. Almost 100 years ago

Germany had someone attempt a coup he was charged and served a brief sentence. He came back and created an evil fascist government.

[DFW]

24. 1923

In München.

No one here has forgotten THAT, for sure. But back in the States, I doubt 10% of the population would be able to name something in world history that led to something unspeakably awful ten years later.

[Elwood P Dowd]

32. I've never met a repuke that knows anything about German Nazis.

They know who Hitler was, but when you ask them about Himmler or Heydrich they give you a blank stare.

[DFW]

33. History never did seem to be their strong point

They seem to prefer to invent their own version, and then stick by it.

[Orrex]

18. Maybe some of our high-minded members can tell Schiff to stop his outraged ranting

At least, that's the response I get when I express anything less that complete and undying faith that Garland and The System are doing anything about Trump's laundry list of crimes.

[George II]

19. What an obnoxious and stupid question to ask. After his recent round of indictments a week...

...or two ago, with nothing since, I guess it's bash AG Garland again.

Dana Bash is a hack.

[gab13by13]

27. So is it your opinion,

that our democracy, right now today, is in better shape than it was on 1/6? The insurrection has grown by leaps and bounds since 1/6 and that is a fact that can't be denied. To assume that something is being done behind the scenes after 11 months is a gigantic leap of faith.

Is Adam Schiff also a hack? Is Joyce Vance a hack? Is Dan Goldman a hack? Is, never mind, just answer my question, is our democracy better off today than it was on 1/6?

[Paladin]

22. Pleased to see some questioning and pressure being applied to Garland.

I believe it's called for.

[Solomon]

31. This is my take on it. Nothing wrong with

applying pressure.

[getagrip_already]

26. Garland is very sensitive about what the doj did to clinton....

Announcing investigations, lines of inquiry, and even a non-indictment indictment.

The doj has since said it won't disclose investigations or even declination decisions. It makes it frustrating as an observer, but it really is the fairest way for them to investigate.

That may be what we are seeing now. They will speak through indictments and court filings, not status updates.

[gab13by13]

28. The experts I listened to,

said that the leaks won't come from DOJ, they will come from other people.

[brooklynite]

29. The dilemma of the anti-Garland contingent.....

Last edited Sun Nov 28, 2021, 06:05 PM - Edit history (1)

If you believe that Garland is incompetent or intentionally letting Trump skate, then by extension you believe that Biden was incompetent for picking him or is intentionally not replacing him, which might explain why nobody calls on Biden to do so. All I see are angry rants from the safety of an anonymous political blog.

[onenote]

34. +1

[Orrex]

35. It is possible to believe that Biden has erred without thinking him incompetent

It is also possible that no one in the Democratic party has called on Biden to replace Garland because to do so would be catastrophically bad optics and would immediately and endlessly be played in the media as "the Democrats are in disarray" and "Biden has lost control of his party."

I'm not asserting that either of these is the case, only that they're possible, and that your framing of "the dilemma" is entirely self-serving.


But hey, the most important thing is that no one express frustration or impatience within the safety of an anonymous political blog, because that would clearly be upsetting for you.