When reading posts, there are yellow stars against the names of the most respected Shrewds. The number of points in the star, starting at 3, represents the Shrewd'm-Star rating. This number is the average recommendation that the author received over the last 12 months.
- Manlobbi
Halls of Shrewd'm / US Policy❤
No. of Recommendations: 14
https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/trump-trans...Former Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz said on social media he is withdrawing as President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for attorney general. This comes a day after he met with GOP senators on Capitol Hill and as he faced scrutiny over sexual misconduct allegations.Gaetz must
really not want the ethics report to come out. But of course, now it will be leaked all the more quickly. 😊
"Only the best people." - Trump
No. of Recommendations: 3
No. of Recommendations: 3
Generally confirmation that these radical ridiculous picks are designed to make the simply more extreme and controversial picks appear to be acceptable.
No. of Recommendations: 3
Gaetz must really not want the ethics report to come out.
Yep.
The whole sham of an appointment was nothing more than a poorly disguised attempt to cover up whatever the Ethics committee has on him. I don't know what's there, but very few people would go to such lengths to cover up good news.
But have no fear, Gaetz was a very good ring kisser. He may still be useful to Trump, so expect one requirement of the next pick to be that he won't prosecute Gaetz.
Because we don't have a two-tiered justice system.
--Peter
No. of Recommendations: 2
But have no fear, Gaetz was a very good ring kisser. He may still be useful to Trump, so expect one requirement of the next pick to be that he won't prosecute Gaetz.
Because we don't have a two-tiered justice system.
Hadn't the DOJ already declined to prosecute him?
No. of Recommendations: 1
He may still be useful to Trump, so expect one requirement of the next pick to be that he won't prosecute Gaetz.
Exactly what Federal Crime do you think Gaetz committed? Do you think he crossed state lines with minors? Heavens to Murgatroyd!
No. of Recommendations: 6
Generally confirmation that these radical ridiculous picks are designed to make the simply more extreme and controversial picks appear to be acceptable.
I’d like to offer a slight edit to your original statement:
Generally confirmation that these radical ridiculous pricks are designed to make the simply more extreme and controversial pricks appear to be acceptable.
As always:
You can’t fix stupid.
No. of Recommendations: 3
Hadn't the DOJ already declined to prosecute him?
Possibly. I'm not immediately familiar with that detail of the history between Gaetz and the DOJ. But the still hidden ethics committee report could have changed that decision and prompted additional investigation and potentially prosecution. But I'm virtually certain that even reopening the previous investigation won't happen under the Trump administration.
Unless Gaetz fails Trump in some way (see, for example, Cohen, Guiliani, whats-her-name Kraken, and multiple others over the years). He will protect his people only while they remain loyal and useful to him. For the moment, Gaetz appears to still be loyal. Usefulness is a different question. There may be some other position in the administration that he could fill - preferably one that doesn't require advice and consent.
--Peter
No. of Recommendations: 7
Exactly what Federal Crime do you think Gaetz committed?
I don't know. I suspect the House Ethics Committee knows, and has a nice report on it all ready to go.
What I do know, thanks to the NY Times, is that Gaetz has paid a lot of money to a lot of different people for something that he would like to keep out of public view.
And we also know that someone testified to the Ethics Committee of statutory rape. That's a state crime, rather than federal, of course. But it can become a federal crime if specific actions happened. Those specifics might be in the Ethics Committee report. Or they might not. Either way, it's worthy of investigation. And if federal investigators find crimes that are at the state level, they would typically refer that to the appropriate state for their action.
Heavens to Murgatroyd!
Statutory rape is nothing to joke about. It is a serious crime that commonly leaves the minor with long-term emotional scars.
--Peter
No. of Recommendations: 6
Gaetz must really not want the ethics report to come out.
Methinks it's not just Gaetz who doesn't want the report to come out. It would likely reflect poorly (though accurately so) on the portion of the Republican party that thinks he's a good candidate for a powerful cabinet position.
What portion would that be? We may never know, but it certainly includes the guy at the top and the five Republican members of the Ethics Committee.
No. of Recommendations: 1
Hadn't the DOJ already declined to prosecute him? - albaby
----------------
Yep, the FBI concluded its investigation with no charges filed.
Since we MAGA's embrace endless conspiracy theories, I will pass along an interesting plot that was revealed today on the network that shall not be named. It goes like this.
Trump and Gaetz hatch a diabolical plan.
First Trump nominates Gaetz. Gates then resigns from the 118th Congress thus encumbering the release of the House ethics report.
Gaetz draws all the heat for a week while Trump cements other diabolical plans. The phrase Operation Abuella was overheard.
Now its time to for Gaetz to withdraw as nominee leaving Trump to pick an operative he had in mind all the time and needed Gaetz to soften up the beachhead.
Right now Gaetz in not a member of the 118th Congress. And the 119th won't be seated until Jan 3. So first thing in Jan is we need a speaker so Johnson gets elected. One of Johnson's first duties is to accept Gaetz's resignation from the 118th, so perhaps Gaetz still was member until Johnson could accept the resignation?
Anyway, now Gaetz is officially out, the Sergent at Arms drags Gaetz by the ear and out the door. Now time to get down to other business. Since Gaetz won re-election he is entitled to be be seated in the 119th. Johnson has the Sergent at Arms respectfully escort Gaetz back into the chamber.
That is a tight little bundle, Gaetz ends up right back where he started sans the ethics investigation. Trump's real pick will have a easier time through the approval process. And coalescence of the swamp draining team continues on track.
No. of Recommendations: 1
am thinking trump did want gaetz, but not more than ~1 day's worth of his own effort.
hard to tell, but 'what have you done for me lately', seems to usually be the answer.
No. of Recommendations: 1
Exactly what Federal Crime do you think Gaetz committed?
I don't know. I suspect the House Ethics Committee knows, and has a nice report on it all ready to go.
I suspect that the Federal crimes were tenuous, and that the states could bring action, so it's up to the states, or DV, wherever it happened.
Heavens to Murgatroyd!
Statutory rape is nothing to joke about. It is a serious crime that commonly leaves the minor with long-term emotional scars.
The reference to crossing state lines is what happened to Chuck Berry. Personally, I think the age for statutory rape should be 16 as the Euros do, not 18. A good chunk of our famous rock n rollers could've been convicted of statutory rape, but we were after Chuck Berry. I don't like Matt Gaetz, but that she was 17 doesn't bother me. That there were drug fueled sex orgies, doesn't bother me. Now if he charged the Feds for the drug fueled orgy, that bothers me. And if he paid the prostitutes with Fed money that bothers me.
And I will lighten up the conversation and not worry about someone taking moral stances. My morals are as good as anyone's. I just have a different view.
It's only been recently we've been willing to convict Uncle Danny for what he did to the young girls. One of the reasons I boycott Denny's isn't because of the few cents more that the workers will get for picking tomatoes, it's because the farmers agree to terms that significantly lessen the rape that happens to the pickers. That makes it worth much more.
No. of Recommendations: 4
I suspect that the Federal crimes were tenuous, and that the states could bring action, so it's up to the states, or DV, wherever it happened.
If there were state crimes, the committee should release the report or make a referral so the appropriate states can take action. And even if the potential Fed crimes are tenuous, that would not be surprising, as the Ethics Committee isn't conducting a criminal investigation. They are merely looking at the ethics rules of the House and not criminal laws. If there is some evidence of a federal crime, the committee should make a referral to the DoJ so they can investigate further (if that hasn't been done already - I believe there was some kind of federal investigation previously).
In either case, releasing the report is the right thing to do. And if there was no evidence at all of anything untoward or unethical, they should release the report to clear Gatez' name.
This all gets back to what I should call the Nixon lesson: It's not about the crime, its about the coverup. Any crime is only on the perps who did the crime. The appearance of covering up a crime taints all who assist in the coverup, whether there is a crime or not.
I think the age for statutory rape should be 16 as the Euros do, not 18.
I'm sure there's an argument for that. But we're dealing with the laws as they stand now, not what anyone thinks they should be.
--Peter
No. of Recommendations: 2
In either case, releasing the report is the right thing to do. And if there was no evidence at all of anything untoward or unethical, they should release the report to clear Gatez' name.
I have no problems with releasing the report. I just have different views, since statutory rape is done with consent, without any force or coercion and she was 17, that's not a huge problem to me, even if it was against the law. But the overall picture of Gaetz is not good. One of a privileged person breaking the rules whenever they want - rules are for little people. Republicans seem to have no problem with breaking the law any more.
Remember when the comedian turned politician Al Franken stepped down? I consider groping and trying to kiss women as force, and 8 women accused him of it. We may have to reassess fording out Senators that way. Sad times are coming up.
No. of Recommendations: 2
I just have different views, since statutory rape is done with consent,
The whole point of statutory rape laws is that the minor is unable to give informed consent because of their age.
--Peter
No. of Recommendations: 0
The whole point of statutory rape laws is that the minor is unable to give informed consent because of their age.
*******
Are they able to give consent as to whether they are a girl or boy?
To terminate a pregnancy?
AND - are they old enough to decide what to eat for lunch?
My opinions.....
NO
NO
YES, WITHIN REASON.
No. of Recommendations: 1
The whole point of statutory rape laws is that the minor is unable to give informed consent because of their age.
I covered that:
I just have different views, since statutory rape is done with consent, without any force or coercion and she was 17, that's not a huge problem to me, even if it was against the law.
The whole point of why it is called statutory is because there is consent, no force, no coercion, which is important because otherwise it is real rape, not statutory, and real rape happens a lot with minors. And real rape leaves heavy duty scars, if they live.
I have a male friend who told me about being raped when he was young. And how the person who raped him later murdered a babysitter after he raped her. Real rape, real coercion, real force, real murder.
No. of Recommendations: 4
The whole point of why it is called statutory is because there is consent, no force, no coercion, which is important because otherwise it is real rape, not statutory, and real rape happens a lot with minors.
If Gaetz plied a minor with drugs/alcohol and had sex with her.... is that statutory?
The allegation included providing alcohol and drugs to minors, things a minor is not legally allowed to have.
Same allegations have been made with regard to the Epstein/Trump 'parties.'
No. of Recommendations: 2
The whole point of why it is called statutory is because there is consent, no force, no coercion, which is important because otherwise it is real rape, not statutory, and real rape happens a lot with minors.
If Gaetz plied a minor with drugs/alcohol and had sex with her.... is that statutory?
She was 17, considered a minor, and so it would be statutory rape. There's case law that governs how intoxicated you have to be to not consent. If she's passed out she can't consent I would think. States can vary in this area.
