[Athos]

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.

[smoothy]

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.

[tomder55]

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.

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

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.

[excon]

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

[Athos]

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.

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.

[tomder55]

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 .

[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.

[paraclete]

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.

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

[tomder55]

excellent observations clete .

[tomder55]

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.

[Athos]

Like I said ,Comey has nothing .

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.

[tomder55]

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 .

[talaniman]

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.

[tomder55]

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

[talaniman]

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.

[tomder55]

1. but it sure is OBSTRUCTING the right wing agenda

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 .

[talaniman]

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!

[tomder55]

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 .

[paraclete]

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

[tomder55]