Oh boy, this Special Counsel report is very political

[senseandsensibility]

Apparently, it refers several times to Biden being elderly and having a poor memory.

[senseandsensibility]

1. Looks like the trumper judge

did what he was supposed to do.

[uponit7771]

2. Yep, its the DOJ indicating they're very political and partisan without saying they're very political and partisan

[hlthe2b]

3. Yet, they are reporting that the DATE of the interviews was OCT 7--the day Hamas attacked Israel????

Unbelievable for that SC to play into the RW memes, knowing full well what was going on concurrently. Unbelievable and as crass as it comes.

[senseandsensibility]

5. Good point

But there is literally no reason to mention Biden's age or memory one way of the other. They're not doctors.

[TwilightZone]

9. Investigators often note characteristics of those whom they are interviewing.

I agree that this seems gratuitous, but it doesn't take a doctor to note what's going on in an interview.

[senseandsensibility]

11. Did any of Jack Smith's reports on Cheato

ever refer to his demeanor in any way? You know he had plenty of material.

[TwilightZone]

16. haha, yes

Last edited Thu Feb 8, 2024, 05:58 PM - Edit history (1)

Jack Smith talks about Trump's demeanor quite frequently, especially in court filings. Trump's demeanor is a huge part of some of the cases against him. It's often as important as his words or actions. His demeanor on January 6th is a huge factor in the case against him. His demeanor recently cost him $83 million in a case in which it was the central issue.

I see these comments about Biden's demeanor more as incidental. I don't think they're malicious**, though many may disagree and that's fine. Calling Biden elderly is a fact, not an opinion, and unless there's some evidence that the comments about his memory are false, I'm not sure how objectionable that is or why we should be overly concerned about how they're interpreted. I think more people can relate than would be worried about it.

Does it feed into the right-wing narrative? Sure, but why should we care? They were already exaggerating well beyond anything that's being reported here, and this isn't going to sway anyone who understands that no one is perfect and that everyone has moments.

**Edit: upon learning more, I think the comments were needlessly personal and the intent seems to be to inject opinion into the report, a la James Comey. I left my initial comment, but with this further info, the comments seem closer to malicious than not. They're certainly highly gratuitous. I stick by my points that I don't think it will ultimately matter.

[TwilightZone]

23. Mea culpa

As more information has become available, it's clear that Hur inappropriately injected a bunch of personal, petty, questionable nonsense into the report. I was entirely wrong in my first impression that I didn't think it was malicious. It's the very definition.

That being the case, to your prior point, Jack Smith obviously would never do the same. As I noted, he has certainly made Trump's demeanor a central point in his case, but it's always been fact-based and professional, of course. The two situations couldn't be more different.

[senseandsensibility]

24. Thank you for saying that

This has been a whirlwind of a day showing just how biased the judicial system and the press is towards Dems. I hope everyone not deep within the rightwing bubble saw it for what it is.

[TwilightZone]

26. I had only seen the first few snippets from the report at the time.

That's my fault. I really should have waited for more information to emerge. Usually, I'm completely over-cautious so I blew it on this one and it caught me off guard.

I still believe that the right has so over-exaggerated the issue that this may not register with a lot of people. The people who already believe the myth will continue to believe it. Others will look at it more pragmatically, especially since Biden got right out there and addressed it, especially the more explosive allegations like not remembering when his son died, and looked presidential, even in the face of a pack of jackals.

[Tommy Carcetti]

4. Honestly, this is a lot worse than Comey's gratuitous comments on the Clinton email investigation.

Seems to play right into the conservative talking points.

Sheesh.

[senseandsensibility]

7. Yes, subtle they

are not.

[PufPuf23]

25. Looks like orchestrated to conservative talking points.

Garland's GOP Special Prosecutor's specific report is a surprise but not that the process turned into a rat fuck.

What is new?

I've been a Democratic Party member and exclusive voter for over 50 years and have zero surprise.

[LeftInTX]

31. Might as well have had Trump himself write the report!

[FHRRK]

6. Yet many defend Garland

Tough to win when the enemy can't be identified.

[videohead5]

8. How did he willfully retain

Classified documents when he voluntarily returned them?

[senseandsensibility]

10. Good point

We'll see if it's ever adequately explained.

[chowder66]

19. From the NYT article

White House officials said Mr. Biden had fully cooperated with the investigation and that he took the handling of classified information seriously.

“We disagree with a number of inaccurate and inappropriate comments in the special counsel’s report. Nonetheless, the most important decision the special counsel made — that no charges are warranted — is firmly based on the facts and evidence,” Richard Sauber, a special counsel for Mr. Biden, said in a statement.

.....


In a conversation recorded at a rented property in Virginia in February 2017 — a month after he left office — Mr. Biden told his ghostwriter he had “just found all the classified stuff downstairs.”

Mr. Hur said that exchange was the strongest basis for a prosecution he had found, but that a jury was unlikely to convict Mr. Biden, given the fact that he had grown accustomed to legally retaining documents as vice president, might have not fully adjusted to the new restrictions and believed he had the right to keep his personal notes — based on President Reagan’s retention of similar materials for decades.

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/08/us/biden-documents-special-counsel.html?unlocked_article_code=1.T00.6Tlc.zz6Or7zH3wjA&smid=url-share

[chowder66]

22. The response from Biden's lawyers is worth the read....

More on what Hur found potentially prosecutable. The report is a bullshit spin job and it's infuriating.

from page 386

In an audio recording with Mr. Zwonitzer. the President said: '"I just found all the classified stuff downstairs. I wrote the President a handwritten forty-page memorandum arguing against deploying additional troops to Afghanistan on the grounds that it would not matter." Yet your report appears to conclude that the President was referring to marked classified Afghanistan documents. rather than the precise document referred to in the actual recording: the President" s handwritten letter to President Obama about Afghanistan. which the President viewed as a sensitive and private communication. Indeed. the President testified in his interview that. although he didn't remember the comment to Mr. Zwonitzer, the •'only thing that [he] can think of" Vas this handwritten letter to President Obama. Tr.. Day II, at 38. We believe that an accurate recitation of the evidence on this point would recognize the strong likelihood that the President was referring in the recording to his private handwritten letter to President Obama­ the one mentioned on this recording immediately after the eight words that you are focused on­ rather than the marked classified Afghanistan documents discovered in the Wilmington garage.

https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/24414122-report-from-special-counsel-robert-k-hur-february-2024

[liberalmediaaddict]

12. Yes it is

Lots of right wing talking points. No surprise considering Hur's background.

I'm sure House Republicans and the news networks will run with this story and frame it as "both sides are equally bad" narrative.

Although it probably doesn't matter since Trump's classified documents case in Florida is going nowhere. Judge Cannon is making sure of that.

[Native]

13. Just saw this on TV and my jaw dropped.

[ismnotwasm]

14. Yup.

It is bullshit

[republianmushroom]

15. Surprise, No, it was written by a republican that has egg on his face.

[bigtree]

17. What's the reason for this memory lapse?

Trump told Mueller more than 30 times he did not remember key events
https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/439546-trump-told-mueller-more-than-30-times-he-did-not-remember-key-events/

...or this?

Donald Trump Jr tells court ‘I don’t recall’ in response to questions at Trump family fraud trial – as it happened

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2023/nov/01/trump-fraud-trial-testimony-trump-jr-latest-updates?page=with:block-654254d28f08af73b5ca6050

...or this one?


Pence says he ‘doesn’t recall’ if he was told about false elector scheme leading up to Jan. 6

https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/4150876-pence-says-he-doesnt-recall-if-he-was-told-about-false-elector-scheme-leading-up-to-jan-6/

[senseandsensibility]

18. You should be in charge of Biden's rapid response team

my friend.

[Johonny]

20. The material was worse than I thought it would be

Not a great moment for Biden, but highlights from Pence to Trump to Biden how crappy national security documents are handled by the executive branch.

Feels like Congess should act to tighten requirements. They won't.

[2naSalit]

21. Orchestrated...

Long game hit job. I call out Garland for this.

He'd better not be AG next term.

[Walleye]

27. Hur knew he could say what he wanted without fear of death threats.Like he would get from the sick fuck

[senseandsensibility]

29. Another example of the way Rs are pampered and catered to

Anyone who doesn't see it after today doesn't want to see it. You are 100% right about death threats. Another example of us always being the adults and never getting credit.

[sinkingfeeling]

28. I object. Argumentative and speculation on Hur's part.

[apnu]

30. If you can't argue the facts or the law, pound the table.

This is table pounding.