In case you guys missed it, the president of Penn State, the Athletic Director and a third top exec have all been sentenced to a combination of 2 or 3 months jail time followed by another few months of house arrest.

I'm not even sure their lack of action was criminal, but it was surely a gross failure in their responsibility of watching out for children - a responsibility every adult has when it comes to children even if they're not his. Paterno and Sandusky of course are also included but their sentences have been carried out.

I still think Penn State should have been banned for life from intercollegiate football for such a terrible failure from the top role models of the university. The players, faultless, could easily have been found schools elsewhere. But Mammon raised its ugly head and ruled again over every principle a great university is charged with as its primary function.

Unfortunately, this is not atypical of what much of American culture has degenerated into.

This Thursday I pray that Jim Comey will strike a blow for decency and integrity.

If they DID know about any of it.. then they did commit crimes they can be charged with. And I have no sympathy for them, Paterno or Sandusky.

No I don't think Penn State's footlball program should receive the death sentence. They are doing the right thing going after the criminals who ran the program . They should make sure that the people running it now have the utmost integrity .

I wouldn't let it get to you .Unfortunately ,American football will be a dead sport in a generation.

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1. This Thursday I pray that Jim Comey will strike a blow for decency and integrity.

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Let's say Trump ordered Comey to end his investigation of Flynn ,instead of what Comey may have presumed was pressure to end the investigation ;There still would be no criminal cover-up or obstruction of justice . When asked by Sen Hirono if it was in the power of his superiors to end the investigation he replied "In theory ,yes". No Comey it is not a theory . It is exactly how the Constitution constructed it . You report to the Att General and the Att General reports to the President . The constitution grants sole executive power (of law enforcement )to the President .


Only a nut job not worthy of the position of Director of the FBI could perceive the words that he claims Trump said ,in the partial release of a hand written memo to himself, as a felonious obstruction .( “I hope you can see your way clear to letting this go, to letting Flynn go.” )

Those words to the contrary allowed Comey to make his own judgement on whether to pursue the investigation. Trump was not even exercising discretion ;like Comey did when he decided to not pursue charges against Evita . On the contrary Trump has allowed the appointment of an independent investigator to investigate the various charges that have been leveled ,mostly by the rabid left and their compliant allies in the major press.

Hello:

Trump can WIN.. Here's SOME of the things he can do, and I think he WILL:

Fire Robert Mueller and appoint his successor

Fire Rod Rosenstein, and appoint his successor

Congressional witness immunity

Waging unending legal battles

Inadequate resourcing - starve Mueller of funding

Revoke the special counsel regulations

Presidential pardons

excon

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Originally Posted by tomder55

Let's say Trump ordered Comey to end his investigation of Flynn ,instead of what Comey may have presumed was pressure to end the investigation ;There still would be no criminal cover-up or obstruction of justice . When asked by Sen Hirono if it was in the power of his superiors to end the investigation he replied "In theory ,yes". No Comey it is not a theory . It is exactly how the Constitution constructed it . You report to the Att General and the Att General reports to the President . The constitution grants sole executive power (of law enforcement )to the President .


Only a nut job not worthy of the position of Director of the FBI could perceive the words that he claims Trump said ,in the partial release of a hand written memo to himself, as a felonious obstruction .( “I hope you can see your way clear to letting this go, to letting Flynn go.” )

Those words to the contrary allowed Comey to make his own judgement on whether to pursue the investigation. Trump was not even exercising discretion ;like Comey did when he decided to not pursue charges against Evita . On the contrary Trump has allowed the appointment of an independent investigator to investigate the various charges that have been leveled ,mostly by the rabid left and their compliant allies in the major press.

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It would take a Shakespeare to point out the irony in Trump calling ANYONE a nut job. The man literally DEFINES what a nut job is.

His grasp of the Constitution is equally bizarre since Trump has never read the document, much less studied it. The rabid right-wing, as usual, plays games with the Constitution. Stated above is "The Constitution grants sole executive power (of law enforcement) to the president". Not surprisingly, the underlying broader point is missed. The president CANNOT use his power of law enforcement to break the very law he is empowered to exercise. Constitutional Law 101.

That would be fine if someone could identify a crime . Certainly Comey cannot testify that Trump feloniously tried to obstruct the investigation by asking him

1. "I hope you can see your way clear to letting this go, to letting Flynn go.” If Comey felt pressured it was all in his head . If he thought that there was criminal intent in Trump's suggestion then it was Comey's duty under the law to report it . But he did not report it ;nor did he resign.

He's a weasel and I have no doubt that he will point an accuse finger and when asked to elaborate will hide behind the "I can't tell you ;it's classified "canard that Clapper and Susan Rice used.
Time to get a cup of covfefe and enjoy the show .

How the Hall does Trump have anything to do with Penn State, He wasn't even in office when this happened? Some people are in dire need of therapy. How you going to handle 8 years... and yeah.. I seriously hope he DOES win a reelection. Hes far more qualified than Obama ever was, and has done far more to help the American People than Obama EVER did.

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Originally Posted by smoothy

How the Hall does Trump have anything to do with Penn State, He wasn't even in office when this happened? Some people are in dire need of therapy. How you going to handle 8 years... and yeah.. I seriously hope he DOES win a reelection. Hes far more qualified than Obama ever was, and has done far more to help the American People than Obama EVER did.

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You have a quandary or is a dilema? Dump is obviously unfit for office, and yet the alternatives take you where you don't want to go, draconian taxes to fund health care, higher taxes to fund renewable energy, confrontational foreign policy. Under Dump you have lost whatever leadership you might have had. Dump is virtually reduced to governing without benefit of cabinet, with a public service full of vacancies. Any legislation he might implement is a shambles. Government by whim it is what you revolted against 200 years ago

excellent observations clete .

Like I said ,Comey has nothing . For this the networks are going to cut into their revenue creating programing ............READ: James Comey's prepared testimony - CNNPolitics.com

Comey will tell the Senate that he told Trump 3 times that he wasn't under investigation.

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Originally Posted by tomder55

Like I said ,Comey has nothing .

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Comey has plenty, and you know it !!

For anyone who takes the time to read Comey's 6 or 7 page statement released by the Senate today, it will be readily apparent just how smarmy Trump is when "negotiating a deal". He lies, distorts, confuses, threatens, and demands concessions (e.g., "loyalty"). When none of his tactics work against a man of integrity like Comey, he simply fires the man.

This is the way of the evil con-man, and Trump has been following that path his entire life.

The lawyers will have to determine the degree to which his behavior reaches obstruction of justice, but the public will get an excellent insight into the workings of Trump's sick Machiavellian mind.

It reads like a dime store gumshoe novel .
("My instincts told me the dinner was, at least in part, an effort to have me ask for my job and create some sort of patronage relationship,")Go ahead and try to use that comment in a court to prove anything. Listened to the hearings this morning and Comey was almost begging that there were tapes as Trump had suggested to collaborate his musings . Bottom line is that unless he reveals something significant in the private hearings this afternoon ,all he has is his own perceptions of Trump's character . Yeah that's right ,he's not fond of him.WE all know already that Trump does not have a presidential character .... unless of course you are talking about some stalwart Dems like LBJ who was just as crass and crude as Trump.But there was nothing in the prepared text ,or in testimony that suggests he thought Trump was doing any felonious obstruction .

Trump is not out of the woods yet, but 9 contacts about the Flynn/Russian investigation should make anybody suspicious. He looks guilty even if he isn't, at the least. More will be revealed as the investigation continues, and I have seen no reason why it shouldn't.

I know vendors, clients, and consumers, bankers, AND lawyers who have been screwed by Trump, and I see more to come.

Comey admitted that the Flynn investigation had nothing to do with any possible connection with Trump campaign collusion with the Russians to interfere in the election . Even Chris Matthews is beginning to smell the roses .

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ySxJiUp8qd8

Fair warning Tom, don't go all in on Trump just yet. The talking heads may be yapping it up for one side or another, but they get paid for yapping. We should wait and see where the actual investigation leads too. The takeaway that's the most important is the Russians are the enemy.

And Trump's head is stuck all the way up Putin A$$ (IMHO)! Let's find out how that happened and how far up Putin's A$$ it goes.

The rest is just gobble de goop, but it sure is OBSTRUCTING the right wing agenda so enjoy the show.

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1. but it sure is OBSTRUCTING the right wing agenda

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you even have that wrong ;unless you think that massive spending programs and trade wars are right wing agendas .

I'm far from 'all in' for herr Donald . But you're barking up the wrong tree going after this phony 'Trump colluded ' angle . Stick to ethics and conflicts of interest. That is where he is vulnerable .Then again ;maybe that would expose the lefties for the hypocrites they are . They have turned a blind eye and defended Clintoon corruption for so long maybe they think that all is good on that front .

The right wing agenda is take from EVERYBODY and give to the rich and find a war to fight. If my tax dollars go to old people, women, and kids who need the help so be it, that's what government should be about, and should be big enough to do the job!

Last I checked we are GROWING not shrinking, and the rich are still rich and getting richer, while the rest of us AIN'T and this experiment of having a rich business guy at the head of government doesn't work for me. You are right though I would have preferred a "corrupt (that what the right says)" Hillary over a CORRUPT, dufus bully any day.

To be fair though Tom, Hillary would have been blasted every day by the repubs like Obama was, had she won, so don't expect Orangeman to have a free pass. YOU kiss his ring all you want, but please keep your head down because he will catch liberal crap!

All day long! The killer for me is that 9 contacts with Comey, Trump never showed any concern with what started this whole brouhaha, RUSSIAN INTERFERENCE. The righties don't seem to care either that Trump defends Putin still!

has he moved to reverse sanctions ? No . Did he do Putin's bidding in Syria ? No . The US Navy and Air Forces are playing games of chicken with the Russians as if it were the 1960s .You guys are like the Queen of Hearts .https://img1.etsystatic.com/060/0/11...73999_lten.jpg

The verdict is obvious, Tom, Trump is an idiot, a person with no understanding of the operation of government and a legal system. He seeks to govern by whim and fiet, a would be dictator. The sentence, oblivion, hoisted on his own pitard

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DB2DqC9XkAAGTVR.jpg

Now it's Comey's word against Trump's word.

That's about the most one-sided duel I've ever heard of. Is there anybody left on the planet who doesn't know that Trump is an admitted habitual liar? He even promoted lying as a negotiating tactic. So sad.

Comey may have made decisions both sides disagree with, but no one questions his truthfulness and integrity.

Another Trump liar worth mentioning is EPA's Scott Pruitt. Yesterday, he had the audacity to publicly throw out a whopper - that 50,000 coal jobs had been added in the last...whatever. The guy's a 100% nut job.

Dump just can't let things blow over, he must have the last word, so now he is searching for the tapes

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Originally Posted by paraclete

Dump just can't let things blow over, he must have the last word, so now he is searching for the tapes

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LOL. He's painted himself into a corner with his big mouth. If he can't "find" them, he'll be accused of destroying them. If he finds them, he returns to the Big Apple by one-way bus ticket. This is delicious!!

That's a one way trump ticket

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1. Now it's Comey's word against Trump's word.

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Makes for an interesting dilemma for Robert Mueller . Since Comey admitted leaking government documents to a 3rd party .( My judgment was, I need to get that out into the public square. I asked a friend of mine to share the content of the memo with a reporter. Didn’t do it myself for a variety of reasons. I asked him to because I thought that might prompt the appointment of a special counsel. I asked a close friend to do it.)...and it appears that Comey will likely fall under investigation for that and other charges that may come from his Senate Intel Committee testimony ,shouldn't Mueller recuse himself from investigating his friend James Comey ?

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Mueller, now 68, and Comey, now 52, would become close partners and close allies throughout the years ahead.....He and Mueller spent many hours together, developing a close partnership......and the Obama White House has been eager for someone who will continue the path Mueller has laid out, transforming the FBI from a 20th century domestic law enforcement agency to a 21st century international intelligence agency.To find that person, the Obama administration evidently didn’t have to travel far—choosing one of Mueller’s most trusted allies as his replacement.

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https://www.washingtonian.com/2013/0...al-friendship/

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The two men have had similar careers. Both have been top federal prosecutors. Both have been FBI directors. Several people who know both men say they respect each other.
“Clearly it’s a relationship based on professional colleagues, initially. But I think they would consider themselves friends,” said John Pistole, who worked for Mueller as deputy director of the FBI and also knows Comey. “Mueller is a mentor of sorts to Comey.”

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https://www.bostonglobe.com/news/pol...ksI/story.html

Comey manipulated the system into getting his friend appointed Special Counsel, and now that friend will be investigating matters in which Comey is a key witness;or suspect . Either way; their relationship appears to go beyond a professional one . If this is truly an independent investigation then Mueller should recuse himself from the whole investigation ;or at least the stuff where Comey is either a suspect ;or the only witness .

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Originally Posted by tomder55

Makes for an interesting dilemma for Robert Mueller .

etc., etc., etc.

If this is truly an independent investigation then Mueller should recuse himself from the whole investigation ;or at least the stuff where Comey is either a suspect ;or the only witness .

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Sound and fury, signifying nothing.

Nice try, tomder, but nothng there.

PS - As an ex-government employee, and a private citizen, Comey "leaked" nothing. He provided his private notes to the NY Times in the interests of good government. Nothing illegal about that.

his private notes .lol .He was writing observations on government time about a government meeting . In the real world those notes belong to his employer ;and he is too smart not to know that .


That's why he wanted the special investigator to be his gumba Mueller. He had to hand them to whoever subpoenaed them if there wasn't a special prosecutor ;someone like House Oversight Committee chair , Jason Mueller . My point remains . Mueller is too close to one of the principles to be objective .

Geez Tom, I always thought people took their notes with them so they could write books about their government experiences. You know publish memoirs and such. Be interesting to see if Coates and Rogers collaborate Comey's assertions. Be interesting to see where this investigation leads and if something is done about Russia.

Beats the summer reruns though, doesn't it?

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Geez Tom, I always thought people took their notes with them so they could write books about their government experiences.

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Mostly they get permission to use their notes .Observations like 'Trump is a bully ' is not official . Notes about the content of conversations with the President in person or on the phone directly related to government business are not his .They belong to the Justice Dept .

That is just a fact of life for everyone . As an example ;scientists working for a pharmaceutical company cannot take notes of their experiments or meetings with management and staff for their own use .

If Comey were to write a book,he would need to submit the manuscript to the government for approval before publishing in case there is information that needs to be redacted.

Here is Comey's employment agreement :

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"All information acquired by me in connection with my official duties with the FBI and all official material to which I have access remain the property of the United States of America. I will surrender upon demand by the FBI, or upon my separation from the FBI, all materials containing FBI information in my possession,"

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https://cdnews-pull2-mvaqgu6sx.netdn.../06/FD-291.pdf

I guess we wait for how things shakeout here. The next chapter is tomorrow when Sessions testifies.

I can't wait . Note that the major networks are not planning on interrupting revenue producing programming to air the Sessions testimony .

Several states are suing Trump, citing the emoluments clause as the basis for their suits, and he violates anti corruption statutes. In other court related news, the 9th circuit court has agreed with the 4th circuit blocking enforcement of the Trump travel ban citing he has had ample time to study and implement the changes he wants to the vetting process. They also held that the presidents tweets can be held as official statements of the executive branch.

I have been telling my Dem friends that they are wasting their time on the collusion/obstruction angle. I tell them that Trump's biggest vulnerabilities are in conflicts of interest ,and corruption in his business practices . To be honest ;I find it hard to believe that one can be a developer in the NYC metropolitan area without having deals with some unsavory characters . I'm sure there are plenty of examples where lines were crossed.

Just from what is publicly known with the bankruptcies, and lawsuits from stiffing vendors and consumers, one would think there was a lot more we don't know and just have to follow the money. Mueller is getting just those types of experts in the fold. There is another wild card in the mix, least we forget, fired DOJ lawyer Preet Bharara.

I think at some point the Orange man should shut up and keep his head down at least until the dust can settle on his MANY controversies. The biggest concern though isn't Trump tome but what the congress is preparing quietly in the background that will only need a signature. I put NOTHING past Mitch and the boys when it comes to political savvy and will.

The talking heads on TV are dropping the ball on this Trump coverage...

I do think that the emoluments clause is a bridge too far.Paying a business for legitimate goods and services are not emoluments.I don't think the founders intended a business man to give up his business to serve the country as POTUS . Our first President had an active farm and he sold products from his farm all over the world.

But this is where Congress comes in .If the Repubics in Congress do their job they should immediately authorize his legitimate business activities . The Dems who voted for Evita INC can hardly complain .

Nah there are real corruptions for your eager investigators to pursue . Using a clause that has never been litigated is a lazy unserious endeavor .

Maybe it's time to litigate the clause... at long last or what's the point? Trump is GREAT at finding loopholes that enrich him, and the rule of law... the COURTS... are a check and balance in this country, for the legislative and the executive branch.

Did you happen to see the disgusting display of Trumps cabinet members slobbering all over his ring? Everybody but Mattis. Do you think Mueller will get FIRED?

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1. Do you think Mueller will get FIRED?

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No there will be too much political pressure if he does .Do I think he should be fired ? Yes .

The law governing the special counsel (28 CFR 600.7) specifically prohibits Mueller from serving if he has a “conflict of interest.” Even the appearance of a conflict is disallowed.
The same Code defines what constitutes a conflict. ..... “a personal relationship with any person substantially involved in the conduct that is the subject of the investigation or prosecution” (28 CFR 45.2). Comey is that person.

Mueller should've disqualified himself .

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Originally Posted by tomder55

.... “a personal relationship with any person substantially involved in the conduct that is the subject of the investigation or prosecution” (28 CFR 45.2).

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Comey is not the subject of the investigation or prosecution.

You forgot this part .

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" substantially involved in the conduct that is the subject of the investigation or prosecution”

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.Comey is the only witness of any possible Trump obstruction. And Comey and Mueller are joined that the hip.

I did not forget it. In fact, that part was included.

Comey's conduct is NOT, AND NEVER HAS BEEN, THE SUBJECT of THE investigation or prosecution.

What you are doing is called confirmation bias.