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Jul 5, 2023Liked by Dean Obeidallah

Trump and his co-conspirators should have been arrested on January 21, 2021 and held pending trial. Sure the MAGA horde would have raised hell and the Republicans left in Congress would threaten impeachment, but by now the trials would be complete and the guilty would be rotting in prison. It may now be too late for us to see real justice for Trump and his henchmen.

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Or at least within 6 months of the new admin. Now it's too late

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One thing I really appreciate about your writing is the sense of urgency your words make palpable. This whole piece burns hot, and we need that.

From your piece:

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One passage from The Post’s article really makes my blood boil: “Inside Justice, however, some lawyers have complained that the attorney general’s determination to steer clear of any claims of political motive has chilled efforts to investigate the former president. “You couldn’t use the T word,” said one former Justice official briefed on prosecutors’ discussions.”

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So much about the bedraggled response to Trump inciting January 6 boils my blood! I hope Garland is taking note of how you can delay for-e-ver, appoint a special prosecutor, have loooooots of evidence, and still have republicans howling about political motivation. Did it work, Merr? Not so much?

Democrats as a whole need to burn their "nice" card, swallow some hot pepper, and get moving on fighting fascism and the whole far right. If they don't, everyone will blink and say, "Hey, what happened to our democracy?"

And..... Poof. Lights out.

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Thanks Karen - Ive screaming for the need to charge Trump swiftly since Biden took office. The stakes are too high for playing the "nice card" as you note!!

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How many times do we have to say it?

Trumpanzees are a twisted cult of simian sellouts.....perfect however, for our banana republic!

Case closed.

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This is what we call double standards.

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The US isn't a serious country.

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Not when it comes to protecting our democracy after a coup attempt!

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Which is the most important time to be more serious than a heart attack and yet... 😔

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This is profound

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Interesting that you use Brazil as an example given its dismal standing in the Transparency International rankings (94/180) in addition to its regular lurching side to side in prosecuting former leaders at the change of power (including the new President caught in a bribe scandal). It is difficult to imagine a more lacking similarity in legal systems and outcomes in this hemisphere.

The umbrage taken at the time DoJ has taken to get to this point is fundamentally based on lack of understanding of facts and law; simply, we do not know what they know. This is the most consequential issue of western democracy in the past 100 + years; speed not haste. Our system (not that of Brazil), is based on 3 pillars, 1) presumption of innocence, 2) due process, and 3) rule of law.

Without those, Trump would have indeed locked Clinton (and many others) up on his first day.

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It's been 2 years and 6 months since Jan 6. The Jan 6 committee in detail documented 4 crimes Trump committed and Federal Judge David Carter found probable cause of Trump's Jan 6 crimes well over a year ago--that is the case the judge pierced the atty-client privilege involving John Eastman. No amount of gaslighting will justify the delays by DOJ - but nice try.

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The J6 Committee had corroborating witnesses and no defense witnesses. I understand Carter's findings, but the same applies. Neither of them are/were subject to due process, simply opinion. The plural of anecdote is not data.

Probable cause clearly exists, yet is not the standard of proof beyond a reasonable doubt. I am frustrated as well, but shrill demands for "Garland do something" is not useful for the people that will not/have not dug into the process that is required.

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