Of Course Republicans are Angry. They Have Been Out Gamed... AGAIN.

[babylonsister]

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/8/12/2186756/-Of-Course-Republicans-are-Angry-They-Have-Been-Out-Gamed-AGAIN


Of Course Republicans are Angry. They Have Been Out Gamed... AGAIN.
Saturday, August 12, 2023 at 8:30:05a EDT
MargaretPOA


So Republicans like Gym Jordan and James Comer have been loudly demanding that a Special Counsel be appointed to investigate Hunter Biden. When they finally got their wish, they responded with outrage, (because when do Republicans respond with anything else these days?) A “distraction” they are calling it and an attempt to “whitewash” the supposed “crimes” of Hunter Biden. Leaving a whole lot of people baffled as to why they would be so furious because they got what they want. Outrage is reflexive in today’s GOP, remember that when Trump won they managed to be both self satisfied and angry simultaneously but there is a much more important reason for this particular temper tantrum. Yeah, they’re angry and it’s because…

1) As usual, Republicans acted on the assumption that Democrats would behave as dishonestly and unethically as they, themselves and so would never in a million years appoint a Special Counsel, even though the Democrats are as aware as anybody else that there is no evidence of wrongdoing because there was no wrongdoing. Republicans thought that they were safe to loudly and publicly demand a Special Counsel because they would never get one because they, themselves would never grant that if their positions were flipped. The fact that Republicans have long used a partisan DOJ to do their dirty work means that they can’t imagine an independent DOJ. Which brings us to…

2) Republicans know there is absolutely no fire behind their smoke screen, hell they created it out of whole cloth. An independent special counsel will ultimately find no “there” there and further erode their already absurdly thin case. They have been so desperate to produce real evidence of a crime that they have paraded convicted felons, unregistered lobbyists and discredited and disgruntled Federal employees through at least two different Congressional committees. It has been such an obvious horse and pony show that even Sen. Turtle McTurtleface is having none of it. Which means….

3) Hard line MAGAs aren’t going to get their impeachment vote because the Republicans in districts that Biden won now have a plausible cover: they can’t support impeachment until the Special Counsel is done. And while I have no doubt that Weiss will act independently and try to follow the evidence wherever it leads, it’s not going to be accomplished overnight and Republicans wanted, NEEDED an impeachment to take place prior to November 2024. But you want to know what? I don’t think that’s the only reason they’re pissed…

4) Republicans have been so desperate to find criminal wrongdoing and corruption that some of the “evidence” that they have presented may have been coerced or just made up, which could open some Republican politicians to criminal liability or at the very least, something hugely embarrassing right before an election. Remember, every member of the House of Representatives must run for re-election or leave Congress next year and while Republicans have no shame and apparently aren’t even embarrassed by entering revenge porn into a Congressional record, perjury, bribery and blackmail are tools that we know they aren’t afraid to use.

In summary then, Republicans have been outmaneuvered. By granting their wish, (which they never dreamed would be granted), Garland has killed any chance of McCarthy holding an impeachment vote and has possibly opened some of them up for either (further) political humiliation or even criminal liability. Of course they’re pissed off. By calling their bluff, Merrick Garland and possibly Dark Brandon just thwarted tf out of them by throwing their whole strategy out the window.

[Think. Again.]

1. people with...

...the mindset of republicans used to be more rare.

Yes, we had troublemakers, liars, criminals, etc, in society before but they were never a significant percentage of the general public.

Are there any social studies going on as to what's causing this mass diversion from the "normal" human psychology?

[EYESORE 9001]

3. Sociopath Nation

If I had the time, skill, and inclination, I would write a book on the subject of how sociopathy has been touted as a worthwhile characteristic - one to be cultivated. Clues abound - from embracing Ayn Rand’s greed philosophy to worshipping criminals like mafiosi and depression-era bank robbers. Oh, yeah…I’ll need data with which to develop this theory. Ahh, screw it. You’re all on your own,

[Think. Again.]

19. PLEASE do that?

I would be willing to act as a research assistant, or whatever is needed, to help with a serious study of this.

[cilla4progress]

31. You have my backing,

EYESORE!

[DENVERPOPS]

37. I would love to see

a study, comparing the psychological profiles of Corporate CEO's and Corporate Executives with Criminal Psychopaths.

I think the results would show that the Corporate CEO's and Corporate Executives to be same as the criminals, but they have found a "socially Acceptable" arena to channel their Psychopathic and Sadistic mentality.........

[whathehell]

41. Nah..Sociopath Party.

Anti-Trumpers still comprise the Majority.

[OldBaldy1701E]

4. No offense, but please define 'normal'?

I do not see any behavior that is abnormal to the human condition. I see humans being greedy, selfish and cruel. They have always been that way. But, since the 'evil' element has altered our very society so that such behavior is seen as being more tolerated (you know... saying such acts are 'patriotic' or are 'freedom of expression'), we see more of it out in the open. Humans are always trying to subjugate and destroy each other. It is nothing new.

[Think. Again.]

21. First, you're right, 'normal' is not the correct word...

...any psychosis is 'normal' at a certain level within our species diversity, my apologies for using the word.

But what I am referring to is the quantity of members of our society who carry and act on these traits that are antithetical to a working society.

If the percentage of people who behave in ways that are destructive to a cohesive society is too high, that society would destruct. So the balance of people with these traits has obviously been somewhat maintained for us to reach this societal stage.

It seems to me (and I admit I have no evidence at all, this is all just my gut instinct), that there has been an increase in either people carrying these traits, or in people exhibiting these traits that may have been repressed before.

In any case, I disagree with you that our social composition is the same as it ever was. I truly believe that in recent decades there has been an increase in human behavior that is in opposition to a healthy society.

I could, of course, be very wrong. If I am, humanity definite does NOT deserve it's primary species position.

[OldBaldy1701E]

42. I suspect that those who lived in slaveholding times

Or even further back during the times when a conquerer would kill all the children of their enemies to ensure that they would not seek revenge. Regardless, I do not see much difference in humans. I do see different exterior pressures that can curtail the more violent and decrepit behaviors that humans commit, but those change as society changes and never seem to remain a constant, other than the main societal inhibitors (don't kill and don't steal).

Also, it is humans who say that humans are the primary species of this planet. I am not aware of any other endorsements from any other species. To be honest, I would be very surprised to hear of any. Except maybe the scavengers. They certainly don't mind us pretending that we are the greatest thing to ever hit this rock. It creates more food for them.

[speak easy]

25. Normal is ...

NOT ASPD Antisocial Personality Disorder

•Failure to conform to basic social norms, often in ways that violate the law
•Repeated violation of the physical or emotional rights of others
•Lack of remorse after harming someone or their property

Where negative traits are so out of control they are outside their own society, even a murderous, carnivorous one. You may be a warrior, a torturer, a slave master, but if you kill/ maim other a warriors, a torturers, a slave masters to relieve boredom, you are outside that society's standards. It is your position on the curve, not where the curve is centered.

[Think. Again.]

43. OK, yeah, that's what...

...I am looking for.

So there actually is a set diagnosis that describes them.

Is there any info or whatever on the phenomenon of them banding together into, let's say, a political party?

[Magoo48]

28. Normal: a setting on the dryer.

[cilla4progress]

33. But,

is it, though?

😆

[housecat]

38. I like that

[Shipwack]

6. I wonder that myself sometimes.

I think that there are more people with a disturbing lack of empathy these days. Human life in general is less valued.

Has it always been this way, and more media and a lower barrier of entry to getting your message out is just stripping away the illusion?

Or are people becoming more worried as our opportunities slowly disappear, our jobs eliminated, and wages (for the 97%) stagnate while the cost of “just” living (never mind living well) goes up and up? Economic anxiety and lack of opportunities for their children might be causing a more selfish mindset as a survival mechanism.

Is the US the only democratic nation where people are getting more cruel and violent?

[paleotn]

11. Seems to be more wide spread.

Great Britain, France and Germany are dealing with their own versions of roughly the same thing.

[Ponietz]

27. Add Niger and Ecuador for that matter

[Random Boomer]

29. Peaceful co-existence is closer to an exception than a rule

The Roman coliseum was filled with people watching lions face off with gladiators. Not that long ago (relatively speaking), crowds gathered to watch the beheadings of French noblemen, and since then hangings were also considered great family entertainment.

Genetic studies show that in some regions of Europe, all the local men were killed and from that point on a new group of men supplanted them. Since prehistoric times, modern humans have wiped out other species and may have wiped out other branches of homo.

Compared to the past history of our species, we're creampuffs now.

[OMGWTF]

30. The war in Rwanda left so many men dead that women ran the country

and they instituted universal healthcare and other things that create a better life for everyone.

[housecat]

39. I would have to agree but for nuclear weapons, because we now can wipe out all branches of homo.

(The theory is that many people are not of the sapien persuasion)

[paleotn]

9. Why did so many seemingly normal Germans become mouth breathing nazis?

It's not like the majority of them were dragged kicking and screaming. Hitler had significant political clout before he took complete control. Lots of studies have and are being done to understand why we're so political polarized today. But narrowing that down to specific reasons might be difficult. People do things for a lot of different reasons.

[Think. Again.]

23. Great analogy!

Yes, thank you!

So there is some precedent to this phenomenon.

Good to know it is being looked at with a critical eye.

[cilla4progress]

34. Tribalism

All is well until the group exceeds @150.

[kentuck]

49. My thought is: What is the cost for this attack upon the soul and the psyche of the nation?

It is not "normal' in any sense of the word.

For seven years, we have been attacked daily, almost hourly, with sociopathic lies where what is right is wrong and what is wrong is right. And the wrong is cheered on as if it has been victimized all these years and now wants its time in the sun.

What effect has this had on people? We see evangelicals throw Jesus under the bus for being too weak for these times. We see lies accepted as truths. We see praise for those that can "get away with it". There is an "alternative" for everything.

But surely, there is a price to pay? The heaviest price will be paid by the weak-minded and gullible but no one escapes. Everyone will have to reconcile their belief system so that we can live in a more "normal" society.

[William769]

2. K&R.

[underpants]

5. Look, the are children. Attention seeking children.

The scream for ice cream.
Okay we’ll go get some ice cream.
Then they start screaming about who wants to ride in the front seat.
The one(s) in the back throw a fit the whole time about not being in the front seat.
Then each one has to keep telling you what kind of ice cream they want even after you’ve acknowledged them several times.



BTW this is an observance. My kid would never act like that. Ever. And she understands that.

[gab13by13]

7. So it seems like you are saying that Merrick Garland appointed Weiss for political reasons.

Didn't Garland say he wouldn't be partisan? Doesn't appointing Weiss give the Hunter 5 year investigation more credibility?

What was it that Trump once said, I don't need proof just say there is corruption and Republicans will take it from there. As far as I am concerned, appointing a SC gives the impression there is corruption, isn't that one of the criteria for appointing one?

[BumRushDaShow]

10. Weiss was a 45-appointed U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware

where when Pres. Biden was in the process of firing and replacing the 93 U.S. Attorneys once he was inaugurated, he left Weiss in place - specifically to complete what he was doing with Hunter.

That removed one GOP "talking point".

When Weiss concluded what was a 5 year investigation that had already begun under 45 back in 2018 and found there wasn't any "'there' there", his office worked out that plea agreement. Plea agreements, except for maybe the most egregious stuff like murders, etc., are standard practice.

The problem was that after the settlement was reached, a 45-appointed judge looked at the agreement, which was mostly tax-related, and balked due to the "gun charge" part, and sent things back to square one.

Given that we are now in election season, and Weiss knowing that as well, Garland got a request from Weiss to essentially "sever" purported partisan ties to the chain of command in DOJ by becoming a Special Counsel, and Garland granted that.

Here is the kicker - and specifically related to this gun issue (his supposed lying about drug use on his permit application to obtain a gun) -

Drug user cannot be barred from owning guns, US court rules

By Nate Raymond
August 10, 2023 4:57 AM EDT Updated 3 days ago

Aug 9 (Reuters) - A federal appeals court on Wednesday ruled that a decades-old law prohibiting users of illegal drugs from owning firearms was unconstitutional as applied to the case of a marijuana user, the latest fallout from a U.S. Supreme Court ruling last year that expanded gun rights.

A three-judge panel of the New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals concluded that the federal law violated a Mississippi man's right to "keep and bear arms" under the U.S. Constitution's Second Amendment.

The man, Patrick Daniels, had been convicted under that law after law enforcement found a pistol and a semi-automatic rifle in his vehicle during a traffic stop along with marijuana cigarette butts. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration did not administer a drug test, though Daniels admitted he sometimes smoked marijuana, which federal law prohibits. He was sentenced to nearly four years in prison.

While his case was pending, the conservative-majority Supreme Court in June 2022 declared for the first time that the Second Amendment protects an individual's right to carry a handgun in public for self-defense. That decision, New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen, also announced a new test for assessing firearms laws, saying restrictions must be "consistent with this nation's historical tradition of firearm regulation."

(snip)

https://www.reuters.com/legal/drug-user-cannot-be-barred-owning-guns-us-court-rules-2023-08-10/

This was briefly discussed on MSNBC last week and could the above Appeals Court decision essentially throw out that gun charge (or make it moot)? That will be the debate at some point.

So you have an interesting set of boomerang things going on that can and has backfired on the GOP.

[Zambero]

13. Any action on Garland's part would be viewed as political

The Gym Jordans and other projectionists of the world would have preferred a "political" step of not appointing a political counsel. Oh, the horrors: No transparency, huge coverup, massive crimes go unpunished, proof of corruption and whatever else gets thrown at the wall hopefully to stick in the minds of voters. Instead they get "political" option 2: A special counsel appointment and investigation results that run the risk of negating the accusations of bribery and influence-peddling that have been put forth. Sometimes catching the car can have "dire" consequences.

[paleotn]

14. I don't think they're implying that.

Garland isn't acting politically. I think he felt the SC was necessary to defend his departments impartiality. What's sketched out above is more like added benefits along the lines of be careful what you wish for, you might just get it. And Republicans not gaming things out very well. Those guys aren't deep thinkers.

[whopis01]

16. A special counsel does not imply guilt. Though some will interpret it as such

If a special counsel was appointed there are going to be people who say - “look - he is being investigated. That must mean he is guilty. You don’t investigate innocent people”.

If a special counsel was not appointed there are going to people who say “look - they are trying to stop the investigation. He must be guilty. If he were innocent he would welcome an investigation to prove his innocence.”

The reason that dealing with the former situation is better is that it can actually lead to a conclusion. The latter situation essentially lasts forever.

[Marcuse]

35. Had Garland denied Weiss, the GOP's bad faith whine about a cover up would seem more plausible.

Conversely, if Weiss was previously under no restrictions it seems the only difference now is that he must produce a report a la Mueller and Durham.

Perhaps Weiss thought he could throw MAGA a bone in order to shield his family from its stochastic terrorism.

I still expect nothing implicating Joe.

[Alexander Of Assyria]

8. Special counsel will follow the facts, not the fantasy...that's a fascist nightmare.

[paleotn]

15. Bingo. +1000

[Think. Again.]

24. Not nessecarily true...

We know for a fact there are people who do not apply professional ethics to whatever job they are doing.

This holds true for whatever job one of these people hold, like a special counsel job, or whatever.

[cstanleytech]

12. A cult always gets angry when their grand schemes fall off a cliff to a fiery grave and

a cult is what most Republicans have decided to drink the coolaid and join.

[machoneman]

17. Big issue not stated: the appointment stops the R's in their tracks from issuing valid subpoenas.

Yes, they may try it but the SC and DOJ can and will squash any attempts to call potential witnesses required by Weiss. In essence, the appointment kills the biggest weapon those slimeballs have: Comer/Jordan can't call forth via subpoena anyone that may even tangentially be called by Weiss' team. And this is why they are screaming so hard in addition to the points outlined above. If Weiss ends up pushing his investiagtion into late 2024, it's game over for Comer/Jordan.

Btw, I disagree with only one point noted above: McCarthy has no boundaries and regardless of how this investigation turns out, he and his raucous chorus of losers can (and likely will) hold an impeachment vote (any time soon) or before the election. Count on it!

[rickford66]

18. GOP can be described as projection and unempathetic attributes as far as I can see.

[Brainfodder]

20. They should be super angry at one Trump gang and themselves!

In hindsight, they will be in a lot of mental pain when they see what THEY did.

Consequences included J6 and piss poor initial Covid response with the resulting deaths.

FAFO!

[Roy Rolling]

22. Classic Defense

It’s the “please don’t throw me in the briar patch” defense from enslaved folk tales hero named Uncle Remus.

(ignore modern depictions of the fictional Uncle Remus portrayed in Disney films—they’re ignorant af)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uncle_Remus

[JohnnyRingo]

26. Great summary!

I love the perspective. I think it explains a lot and fills in the missing pieces for me.

[Blue Owl]

32. A bunch of stupid fucks

Now let's kick 'em while they're down!

[BComplex]

36. This article totally NAILS the entire republican drama outrage sickness.

Yep! That nailed it!

[liberalla]

40. Excellent summation!

When will they learn???

[Snackshack]

44. It would have been nice...

If just this once the Dems would have told the gop to phuck off.

[LymphocyteLover]

45. Wow, I hadn't thought about this killing the chances of impeachment-- awesome

[Cha]

46. "Garland has killed any chance of McCarthy holding an impeachment vote"

..and has possibly opened some of them up for either (further) political humiliation

Ah Ha.. I knew Garland did the beat thing for Dems.. not fucking appeaasing magats.

Thank You.

[Faux pas]

47. Kickin'

for later

[LakeArenal]

48. Maybe next a Special Counsel to investigate the other guy's children.

[ecstatic]

50. I'm confused. I thought Garland already put a special prosecutor

on Hunter.