I don’t think the prosecution can delay for years at a time. Someone please correct me if I’m wrong, but under the Speedy Trial Act, the government has 70 days of either the filing of the indictment or the defendant’s first appearance in court to go to trial. I think it’s customary for most defendants to waive their right to a speedy trial because they’re not too keen on going to court, but for Comey might want to get down to business ASAP. It’s clear the prosecution is not prepared for the big leagues.
It wasn’t Bill Clinton himself that made that era good. IMHO he was an average president at best. He started the whole “Democrats should go easy on Republicans because it’s the sporting thing to do” style of leadership that Obama and Biden followed in their presidencies. Comey’s current problems are a result of that philosophy.
That being said, the time period was close to our peak as a society. That progress we were making was due to left over momentum from the gains made in the 60s by Martin Luther King Jr., Lyndon Johnson, Earl Warren, and so on (with an ironic boost from the non-liberal but progressive Nixon, especially in the area of the environment), not to anything Bill Clinton did, but progress is progress.
I think there’s a bit of method to the regime’s madness. The “show trials” are purposely starting with people that both sides dislike. They aren’t going to get a whole lot of sympathy from anyone (even if they feel it’s wrong). The process gets slowly normalized and they think this will make things easier to accept when they get to their real enemy, Democrats.
Good post. Sure, plenty to criticize, but boy things looked good under Clinton - and even Reagan, compared to after our horrible response to 9/11.
I’m still awaiting the cites to all of the Dems who fawn over the Clinton era as an epoch of integrity and near perfection in governance. They might be out there. I’m just unaware of them.
I’m sure that is their plan, but I don’t think it’s going to work out like they think it will. Essentially every reaction I’ve seen from “The other side” is like mine: “These guys are assholes, but these charges are still bullshit.”
Just so I’m clear on this - the judge called Hallighan out on the multiple, inconsistent indictments. Halligan said she was unaware of the one with three counts instead of two. Then, the judge pointed out the she signed said indictment. Hallighan’s reply was “Oh. Well”. Would it be inappropriate for the judge to lay into her a little (or a lot) more on the unprofessional and sloppy way she handled the indictment?
Also, can you file an indictment without witnesses to testify? I’ve seen no mention or speculation on who the witness(es) was . That will be part of the record at some point, right?
FWIW, I work with a retired FBI agent. He’s following his pretty closely. His recollection is that Wray testified at some hearing that he was the anonymous source but that Comey had not authorized it. However, he’s not certain and was going to go back and check. In any case, according to him the rank and file FBI are extremely displeased with what’s going on. They pretty much hate Patel, although there are MAGA agents. Many have been ordered to wear masks when going along on ICE raids (also ordered).
Lawfare’s podcast from yesterday is really worth listening to (especially since they got Bob Bauer to join in). It was fun to hear all the ways in which Lindsey Halligan is overmatched, over her head, and just wholly unsuited for the occasion.
It’s also been interesting (and a little sad, actually) to hear some of the Lawfare writers’ (particularly Ben Wittes) evolution from scrupulously non-partisan evaluators of national security topics to angry and sometimes despairing defenders of democratic norms and institutions. I absolutely get it, and I sympathize, but it is kind of disheartening that even they can’t maintain their usual composure anymore. I think it’s a sign of exactly how far we’ve fallen.
I think you mean McCabe?
Christopher Wray was working in a private law practice until being appointed you the FBI by Trump, following Comey’s firing.
Exactly.
The time for neutrality and bothsiderism is waaaay past.
Yes, McCabe. My bad.