Saturday morning links

When Congress began ceding legislative powers to the executive-branch agencies and the courts deferred to their judgment, it became the bureaucrat's government. Comey is simply defending the "independent" DoJ's sovereign prerogatives to be free from oversight by any of the other three branches of government. The creation of the CFPB simply codified the de facto rule that politicians have no business telling the bureaucrats how to operate the Adminstrative State.

#1.1 Jerryskids on 2018-12-08 12:01 (Reply)

Well said, Jerryskids.

#1.1.1 feeblemind on 2018-12-08 12:35 (Reply)

Bird Dog: Whose government is this?

The U.S. is a common law country, and under common law, investigations, such as grand jury investigations, are granted secrecy in order to protect privacy and induce witnesses to be more forthcoming. More specifically, under the Freedom of Information Act, 5 U.S. Code § 552, a number of exemptions to public disclosure are provided for information that

QUOTE:

(A) could reasonably be expected to interfere with enforcement proceedings,
(B) would deprive a person of a right to a fair trial or an impartial adjudication,
(C) could reasonably be expected to constitute an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy,
(D) could reasonably be expected to disclose the identity of a confidential source ...
(E) would disclose techniques and procedures for law enforcement investigations or prosecutions ...
(F) could reasonably be expected to endanger the life or physical safety of any individual

A Congressional committee cannot overrule a law passed by the entire Congress and signed by the President. A question can be raised as to whether the exemption is properly invoked, but not that such exemptions exist under the law.

#1.2 Zachriel on 2018-12-08 12:02 (Reply)

Appoint a special prosecutor to investigate Comey's crimes and the FBI's involvement in trying to tamper with an election. DO IT NOW before the Democrat Mafia takes over the house and covers everything up.

#1.2.1 Anon on 2018-12-08 16:43 (Reply)

Anon: Appoint a special prosecutor to investigate Comey's crimes and the FBI's involvement in trying to tamper with an election.

Not sure it would qualify under the rules for special counsel. Trump has appointed the Director of the FBI, the Attorney General, and the acting Attorney General. What makes you think they couldn't properly investigate Comey?

#1.2.1.1 Zachriel on 2018-12-09 10:44 (Reply)

History!!! Appoint a special prosecutor to look into Comey and the FBI. Another one to look into the DOJ and Holdwer, Lynch, Rosenstein. Another to look into the CIA and Brennan. Another to investigate Hillary and her many crimes. DO IT before January 1st. Indict them all, let god sort it out.

#1.2.1.1.1 Anon on 2018-12-09 12:49 (Reply)

Anon: History!!!

The Peloponnesian War? The return of the Earl of Oxford to the court of Elizabeth I? You will have to be a bit more specific.

Anon: Appoint a special prosecutor to look into Comey and the FBI.

So you're saying that Trump's own appointee for Director of the FBI, Christopher Wray, isn't capable of investigating Comey?

Anon: Indict them all, let god sort it out.

That's not how it works.

#1.2.1.1.1.1 Zachriel on 2018-12-09 13:18 (Reply)

That's not how it works.

Oh boy, that's a good one Zach-Borg!

Then how does Mueller's Freak Show operate, since from the beginning Rosenstein FAILED to specify the "crime" to be investigated, as the statute demands?

#1.2.1.1.1.1.1 b48 on 2018-12-09 13:28 (Reply)

The question was: "What makes you think they couldn't properly investigate Comey?"
My answer was "History!"
I am confident that everyone understood that except for you. The Republicans have failed these last two years to bring any of the people I mentioned to justice. Clearly Obama and his cabinet was using the power of government to try to change an election, clearly they were using the power of government to illegally investigate a presidential candidate with intent to nullify the vote of the people. But the Republicans/congress has failed terribly in investigating these crimes and bringing the criminals to justice. We need a special prosecutor, someone that the Democrats cannot intimidate or stonewall to investigate the criminal and treasonous acts of the Obama administration. We need a half dozen or so independent special prosecutors appointed before the Democrats take over the House and if we don't do it I fully expect that the Criminals in the Obama White House will go uncharged and unpunished. Worse they will be free to continue their anti-American meddling in an attempt to destroy of constitutional republic.

#1.2.1.1.1.1.2 Anon on 2018-12-09 13:47 (Reply)

b48: Then how does Mueller's Freak Show operate, since from the beginning Rosenstein FAILED to specify the "crime" to be investigated, as the statute demands?

There is no special prosecutor statute. There are longstanding regulations; in particular, 28 CFR § 600.1 provides the grounds:

QUOTE:

The Attorney General, or in cases in which the Attorney General is recused, the Acting Attorney General, will appoint a Special Counsel when he or she determines that criminal investigation of a person or matter is warranted and -

(a) That investigation or prosecution of that person or matter by a United States Attorney's Office or litigating Division of the Department of Justice would present a conflict of interest for the Department or other extraordinary circumstances; and

(b) That under the circumstances, it would be in the public interest to appoint an outside Special Counsel to assume responsibility for the matter.

Anon: Clearly Obama and his cabinet was using the power of government to try to change an election, clearly they were using the power of government to illegally investigate a presidential candidate with intent to nullify the vote of the people.

The Special Prosecutor was appointed by a Republican who was appointed by Trump and approved by a Republican Senate.

Anon: The Republicans have failed these last two years to bring any of the people I mentioned to justice.

Then what makes you think a special prosecutor appointed by a Republican acting-Attorney General would be any better? How does that comport with the regulations concerning a special prosecutor.

#1.2.1.1.1.1.3 Zachriel on 2018-12-10 09:48 (Reply)

Dropping out: Sam Knoche makes a fair observation about "ability bias," which is certainly a factor for students at places like Fordham. However, at a Tier 2 university like mine* there are plenty of students who cannot and will not master a subject by watching YouTube and digging into online MIT lectures. These folks need face-to-face explanations, group work, and lab "hand holding" to grasp a subject (say, elementary biostatistics). For them, staying in school is a better approach. Plus those networking and meeting a future spouse things...

Fer Crying' Out Loud: NO, it's not racist, and the final report given to my University President said so explicitly. The student (and her homies) behaved abominably and the professor lost her cool and behaved unprofessionally (calling the cops for rudeness is a "nuclear" option). The only racism involved is the university administration's treatment of the professor, who was officially humiliated, removed from teaching, and required to perform THREE YEARS of mandatory public confession and political re-education. It could have been worse; the professor is a non-tenure track employee whose contract is subject to periodic renewal. She can be (may be?) terminated without cause.

*Yes, I teach at UT San Antonio, where we conflate diversity with our aspirations of becoming a Tier 1 research university.

#2 Mike Anderson (Link) on 2018-12-08 10:55 (Reply)

“Mandatory public confession...” WTF is that? And political re-education! America has become the Soviet Union. Probably worse; we do everything better in America. I can’t believe I wasted five years of my life in the US Navy, standing up to the communists bastards, only to have them defeat us from within. McCarthy was spot on.

#2.1 B. Hammer on 2018-12-08 11:55 (Reply)

Title IX reforms.

The real problem: colleges DO NOT belong in these cases. If there's a sexual assault, that's for the courts and police. The schools lack expertise, and are too beholden to pressure groups.

#3 jay on 2018-12-08 11:10 (Reply)

In 30 years of working with Academic Security the campus cops are incompetent and the senior officials are often corrupt.

#3.1 Ron Snyder (Link) on 2018-12-08 11:25 (Reply)

Title IX was a tar baby. It was always intended to trap and destroy. They claimed it was about equality but they knew that the way it was worded it created a special class and more importantly inequality. It destroyed many of men's college sports, we can't even field a wrestling team at the Olympics because college wrestling was destroyed. In it's place was Women's volleyball or rowing. Title IX is no being used to place women into fields they don't even want in math and science. (Not saying no women wan them I'm saying that women who don't want them and can't qualify for those fields are being pushed into them AND graduated in spite of not meeting traditional standards of those fields.) The college in our town has a huge football following, an almost as huge men's basketball following and they have a women's basketball team but their only following is the parents of the players. Sorry, don't know why that's true but it is. Title IX is a farce but worse it is a time bomb that is slowly exploding and now is on track to make more lawyers rich than the tobacco lawsuits did. To what end??? Most women going to college don't really want to play volleyball or row, they like the scholarship money but the rest is just the price they must pay to get it. I know of NO ONE who has ever gone to watch women's rowing but thanks to title IX we have women's rowing meets. Basically title IX has turned into a kind of animal farm type of #Metoo so that some animals can be more "equal" than others. It can't be fixed, the wording demands special treatment and no matter what you do short of ending it completely will leave an opening in the future for more abuse.

#3.2 OneGuy on 2018-12-09 13:33 (Reply)

Democrats Are Just Too Darned Smart

That has been a Democrat talking point for a very long time. Recall the talking points about Obama- not to mention what Obama himself has said about himself compared to others. Such as dumb Dubya versus interlekchul Kerry- but Armed Forces tests indicated the reverse. In the '80s, when I was voting Third Party, I saw a bumper sticker: Vote Republican. It's easier than thinking."

Quotes By Adlai Stevenson

QUOTE:

Known for his good nature, Stevenson was once approached by a young woman supporter, the first time that he decided to run for the president’s post. She said, “Governor, every thinking person would be voting for you”. He retorted, “Madam, that is not enough. I need a majority.”

Of course, all the "intellectuals" were for Adlai.

Did Democrat notions of superior intelligence begin with FDR's Brain Trust ?

#4 Gringo on 2018-12-08 11:25 (Reply)

QUOTE:

One month of abstinence from cannabis improves memory in adolescents, young adults

“Wow bro, that was deep. We gotta write this down! ...

"What was that again?"

#5 Zachriel on 2018-12-08 11:52 (Reply)

Nailed it, you have!

#5.1 Sam L. on 2018-12-08 12:32 (Reply)

Clintons: The wheels of justice grind slowly, but exceedingly fine. So I hope.

Hirono: Suffers exceedingly from Lefty-brain disease.

#6 Sam L. on 2018-12-08 13:10 (Reply)

Finally... thanks Bobby!

#7 Zzzatemypuppy on 2018-12-08 16:03 (Reply)

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Saturday, December 8. 2018

Saturday morning links