Hunter Biden indicted

[djAdvocate]

i like the "fugitive informant".
that is my favourite part of this inquiry.

this reminds me a lot of the Curveball incident.
the GOP casts a broad net getting people who will lie on their behalf.
all the way to utterly disreputable people.

[tallguy]

Yeah, that was a good one.  

Engoron was right.  For a million dollars or so, you can get someone to say pretty much anything you want them to.  But a lie is still a lie. 

[djAdvocate]

Jan 11, 2024 14:52:22 GMT -5 tallguy said:

Yeah, that was a good one.  

Engoron was right.  For a million dollars or so, you can get someone to say pretty much anything you want them to.  But a lie is still a lie. 

exactly.  people will put a price tag on their reputation even before their organs.  i am not inclined to give up either.  it is the Devil's Bargain; never exchange qualitative merchandise for quantitative merchandise.

[djAdvocate]

at least Comer didn't lie about that part.
he really could not find the informant.
of course, the fact that he is on a WANTED POSTER probably has something to do with it.

[dondubble]

Jan 11, 2024 13:27:21 GMT -5 djAdvocate said:

Jan 11, 2024 3:59:08 GMT -5 tallguy said:

That is so naive it is almost cute.

The difference between the January 6 committee and this one is that the J6 committee had two Republicans with integrity who were in search of the truth.  This one is led by zero Republicans with integrity and the search for truth is the farthest thing from their minds.  There is ZERO chance that an open, honest portrayal of the testimony would be released.  They have repeatedly announced that they had the "smoking gun" to tie Joe Biden to crimes and corruption, been repeatedly proven wrong by their own witnesses, and still insist on blundering their way forward even though sane Republicans are admonishing them for their dishonesty and failures.  They DO NOT WANT AND WILL NOT AGREE to a public hearing for Hunter Biden because they would not be able to hide the answers. 

if that were true, why would they not want to PUBLICLY torpedo Biden?

Because they can’t. It’s just the Benghazi Move. Keep it at the forefront of the news cycle until it works then drop it, mission accomplished, case closed.

[Opti]

Jan 11, 2024 8:29:50 GMT -5 happyhoix said:

Jan 11, 2024 7:24:19 GMT -5 Opti said:

It is not the new normal. It was. It is in its death throes. How Trump and the Grifters on Parade go down remains to be seen. I see the seeds. The bus is hurtling towards the wall. Actually its been through several retaining walls probably already but all busses run out of fuel. 

Have you heard the term dead man walking? Trump is going down. When TBD. The possibility of course is nonzero that Trumplicans would elect a convicted felon to office after all their years of saying they would not ... but I think the usual will happen instead. A liberal, or actually many of them will save the day. And it will be studied for years as a cautionary tale. The only person I think has an actual clue of what might happen and how is Rachel Maddow. 

I’m thinking it will be more like a poof than an explosion. I think Trump, fueled by Diet Coke and rage, taxing a body that’s spent too many decades riding in limos and eating chocolate cake, will simply stop living one day soon, and the MAGA cult will decend into cannibalistic chaos.

I have decided not to predict this at all because I don't know if I am ever right about the how. I am really good at seeing the train off the rails that cannot be saved though.

In related news I missed the back door politics on a job promotion I hoped to have. But reverse engineered the math, i.e. figured out what happened when, and my boss had already decided to pick someone else before the job was even posted. Small companies and small minded turf battle places. Still hate them. Hope to be working elsewhere before strike three.

[Opti]

Jan 11, 2024 15:43:18 GMT -5 dondubble said:

Jan 11, 2024 13:27:21 GMT -5 djAdvocate said:

if that were true, why would they not want to PUBLICLY torpedo Biden?

Because they can’t. It’s just the Benghazi Move. Keep it at the forefront of the news cycle until it works then drop it, mission accomplished, case closed.

I used to be sad when Zib posted liberals were better people. Now I am resigned to that fact and acting accordingly. 

[Tennesseer]

Video after Hunter Biden showed up last week in Congress.  A few Republicans get cut down to size by AOC.

[Tennesseer]

Maddow Blog | Transcript becomes the latest headache for GOP’s James Comer

As part of the House Republicans’ crusade against President Joe Biden, the House Oversight Committee last week sat down with Kevin Morris, a friend and lawyer to Hunter Biden, who loaned him money to help pay his tax bills. It wasn’t altogether clear why the GOP-led panel sought Morris’ testimony, but let’s put that aside for now.

Instead, let’s consider what happened after the behind-closed-doors Q&A.

According to Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer’s version of events, Morris provided investigators with answers that helped advance the Republicans’ efforts. According to Morris’ attorney, Bryan Sullivan, Comer’s assessment was based on “cherry‐picked, out of context, and totally misleading descriptions of what Mr. Morris said.”
White House spokesperson Ian Sams responded soon after that Comer appeared to have been caught “blatantly lying,” while the committee chairman’s office told reporters that Comer’s claims would eventually be corroborated.

So, which is it? Did the Kentucky Republican get caught trying to mislead the public again, or did Comer finally tell the truth?

When we talked about this a couple of days ago, I left open the possibility of the latter. It seemed unlikely, of course, given Comer’s track record, but the transcript remained under wraps, and I was reluctant to reflexively assume that the GOP congressman was again playing a deceptive game. Maybe the committee was right, and the evidence would substantiate the chairman’s claims.

Or maybe not. The Washington Post’s Philip Bump read the transcript and arrived at the predictable conclusion.

On social media, the Post’s Bump added that Comer “just makes things up, demonstrably.”

If this were an isolated incident, and the Oversight Committee chair was usually a paragon of accuracy, it might be easier to overlook such a misstep, and perhaps chalk it up to sloppy staff work.

Rest of article here: Maddow Blog | Transcript becomes the latest headache for GOP’s James Comer

[tallguy]

Sept 14, 2023 22:44:46 GMT -5 ripvanwinkle said:

Yee Haw! Saddle up boys. We now have real live rodeo starting. Get your tickets for the grandstand seating. Roping the truth doggies. Laughing at the clowns. Timed barrel racing around the arena to beat the statute of limitations.

All joking aside, this is years overdue. What took so long? Why is it just the gun charge? Why isn't he being charged Under the FARA act?

"FARA requires certain agents of foreign principals who are engaged in political activities or other activities specified under the statute to make periodic public disclosure of their relationship with the foreign principal, as well as activities, receipts and disbursements in support of those activities".

If he got monies from foreign officials he needed to register as a lobbyist. Then he would have had to disclose where all the millions came from and where it went. Oh wait he's Biden's son. Untouchable. Privileged. Two tier system of American justice. Laws for thee but not for me.

The GOP's "informant" who provided the "information" about Hunter Biden receiving millions of dollars in bribes and passing them along to his father has now been indicted for allegedly making false statements and manufacturing false records concerning Biden's business dealings in Ukraine.  For rip's benefit, I will explain what that means in very simple terms.

HE MADE IT ALL UP. 

Smirnov's claim that Joe Biden accepted a bribe, which he made as a "confidential human source" for the FBI, was at the heart of the impeachment inquiry that House Republicans launched against the president last year. The charges against him could derail what many already saw as a shambolic effort to impeach Biden.

What We Know

Weiss said in a release on Thursday that a federal grand jury indicted Smirnov on felony charges of making a false statement and creating a false and fictitious record, which carry a combined maximum prison sentence of 25 years.

The indictment alleges that Smirnov's claims to the FBI in June 2020, which alleged that executives at Ukrainian energy company Burisma paid the Bidens "$5 million each" in exchange for favors from the then-vice president, were "fabrications."

"The defendant transformed his routine and unextraordinary business contacts with Burisma in 2017 and later into bribery allegations against [Joe Biden] after expressing bias against [Biden] and his presidential candidacy," the release from Weiss states.

"When he was interviewed by FBI agents in September 2023, Smirnov repeated some of his false claims, changed his story as to other of his claims, and promoted a new false narrative after he said he met with Russian officials," it continues.

link

 

[Tennesseer]

So now the U.S. House of Representatives has zero crimes and misdemeanors to use against President Biden.  But they still plan on impeaching him anyway.

[tallguy]

Exactly, because this has never been about high crimes and misdemeanors, or in fact any degree of actual wrongdoing.  It has always been about trying to make Biden look bad so that Trump looks better in comparison.  Gotta keep the fascist dictator-wannabe happy.

[djAdvocate]

otherwise, he might get....ANGWY!!!!

what a bunch of pussies we have become. well. some of us.

[happyhoix]

Feb 15, 2024 22:50:02 GMT -5 tallguy said:

Exactly, because this has never been about high crimes and misdemeanors, or in fact any degree of actual wrongdoing.  It has always been about trying to make Biden look bad so that Trump looks better in comparison.  Gotta keep the fascist dictator-wannabe happy.

I think it’s simpler than that - Trump is a petty, vengeful piece of shit who wants Biden impeached because he had been impeached - twice.

He’s leaning on the congressional GOP to smite Biden for him.

Beyond embarrassing for the GOP.

[Opti]

Feb 16, 2024 6:42:58 GMT -5 happyhoix said:

Feb 15, 2024 22:50:02 GMT -5 tallguy said:

Exactly, because this has never been about high crimes and misdemeanors, or in fact any degree of actual wrongdoing.  It has always been about trying to make Biden look bad so that Trump looks better in comparison.  Gotta keep the fascist dictator-wannabe happy.

I think it’s simpler than that - Trump is a petty, vengeful piece of shit who wants Biden impeached because he had been impeached - twice.

He’s leaning on the congressional GOP to smite Biden for him.

Beyond embarrassing for the GOP.

Which is why he's added stupid to his stump speeches. He wants his followers to believe Haley could be impeached for having an affair. If that's true, why doesn't Trump have at least three impeachments?

[happyhoix]

Feb 16, 2024 7:12:29 GMT -5 Opti said:

Feb 16, 2024 6:42:58 GMT -5 happyhoix said:

I think it’s simpler than that - Trump is a petty, vengeful piece of shit who wants Biden impeached because he had been impeached - twice.

He’s leaning on the congressional GOP to smite Biden for him.

Beyond embarrassing for the GOP.

Which is why he's added stupid to his stump speeches. He wants his followers to believe Haley could be impeached for having an affair. If that's true, why doesn't Trump have at least three impeachments?

Trump loves to go after people for their romantic entanglements- Fanni Willis, those two FBI agents that exchanged emails about him, the Judges assistant he claimed was chuck schumers GF - like Trump wouldn’t put his junk in a bowl of soup if it was hot.

The thing is, I don’t think he realizes how hypocritical that makes him look. Narcissists never do.

[djAdvocate]

what is weird is that their enablers don't seem to notice, either. either that, or the revel in a world where they could conceivably get away with outrageous indiscretion.

[Pink Cashmere]

Feb 16, 2024 13:58:54 GMT -5 djAdvocate said:

what is weird is that their enablers don't seem to notice, either. either that, or the revel in a world where they could conceivably get away with outrageous indiscretion.

They notice. The bolded part is what appeals to them.

[saveinla]

I think Hunter should sue all of them and I hope he does.

[NastyWoman]

Feb 16, 2024 7:48:34 GMT -5 happyhoix said:

Feb 16, 2024 7:12:29 GMT -5 Opti said:

Which is why he's added stupid to his stump speeches. He wants his followers to believe Haley could be impeached for having an affair. If that's true, why doesn't Trump have at least three impeachments?

Trump loves to go after people for their romantic entanglements- Fanni Willis, those two FBI agents that exchanged emails about him, the Judges assistant he claimed was chuck schumers GF - like Trump wouldn’t put his junk in a bowl of soup if it was hot.

The thing is, I don’t think he realizes how hypocritical that makes him look. Narcissists never do.

Now, now that was unnecessary cruelty - to me personally that is! I have always liked mushroom soup and now I may never be able to eat that anymore without this image in my mind. 

[Tennesseer]

For ripvanwinkle:

[ripvanwinkle]

Feb 17, 2024 8:37:23 GMT -5 Tennesseer said:

For ripvanwinkle :

I heard even the FBI was fooled by this guy. But I find it interesting that other whistle blowers against Biden have been arrested and jailed. Deep State??

[Tennesseer]

Feb 17, 2024 16:06:24 GMT -5 ripvanwinkle said:

Feb 17, 2024 8:37:23 GMT -5 Tennesseer said:

For ripvanwinkle :

I heard even the FBI was fooled by this guy. But I find it interesting that other whistle blowers against Biden have been arrested and jailed. Deep State??

You misspelled 'I deeply believe in ridiculous conspiracy theories'.

[tallguy]

Feb 17, 2024 16:06:24 GMT -5 ripvanwinkle said:

Feb 17, 2024 8:37:23 GMT -5 Tennesseer said:

For ripvanwinkle :

I heard even the FBI was fooled by this guy. But I find it interesting that other whistle blowers against Biden have been arrested and jailed. Deep State??

Why?  Did they make everything up too?  Then...good.  They should be, just like this twit.

[tbop77]

Feb 17, 2024 16:06:24 GMT -5 ripvanwinkle said:

Feb 17, 2024 8:37:23 GMT -5 Tennesseer said:

For ripvanwinkle :

I heard even the FBI was fooled by this guy. But I find it interesting that other whistle blowers against Biden have been arrested and jailed. Deep State??

I would be really interested in a link with info on all the other whistle blowers Biden has had arrested and jail.  Can you provide one?  

[thyme4change]

Feb 17, 2024 16:06:24 GMT -5 ripvanwinkle said:

Feb 17, 2024 8:37:23 GMT -5 Tennesseer said:

For ripvanwinkle :

I heard even the FBI was fooled by this guy. But I find it interesting that other whistle blowers against Biden have been arrested and jailed. Deep State??

Who? I must have missed this story. Please let me know. I would love to read about it.

[djAdvocate]

Feb 17, 2024 16:06:24 GMT -5 ripvanwinkle said:

Feb 17, 2024 8:37:23 GMT -5 Tennesseer said:

For ripvanwinkle :

I heard even the FBI was fooled by this guy. But I find it interesting that other whistle blowers against Biden have been arrested and jailed. Deep State??

i think that conservative politicos have trouble telling the difference between "unreliable intelligence" and "reliable intelligence".  for example, Curveball.

you might have forgotten, but this guy, who was NOT considered a reliable asset, claimed that WMD were being made in mobile labs in Iraq.  that claim was later determined to be utterly meritless, yet Bush and Rumsfeld and Cheney and then even COLIN POWELL treated this intelligence like it was sacrosanct.  WHY?  well, because it fit their narrative and served their purposes.

i would not take the GOP's word for it that this source was RELIABLE.  he was probably wildly UNRELIABLE, but useful to Comer and others.  in other words, here is what i am suggesting:

if there is only ONE SOURCE for a certain view that you VERIFY the source by going to something like Associated Press and seeing if they are running the same story.  if they are, then it is probably reliable.  if not, then it is probably propaganda.

i have suggested this before.  but you and others keep falling in the same trap.  and it is cancerous to intelligent debate.

[tallguy]

Feb 19, 2024 11:47:54 GMT -5 djAdvocate said:

Feb 17, 2024 16:06:24 GMT -5 ripvanwinkle said:

I heard even the FBI was fooled by this guy. But I find it interesting that other whistle blowers against Biden have been arrested and jailed. Deep State??

i think that conservative politicos have trouble telling the difference between "unreliable intelligence" and "reliable intelligence".  for example, Curveball.

you might have forgotten, but this guy, who was NOT considered a reliable asset, claimed that WMD were being made in mobile labs in Iraq.  that claim was later determined to be utterly meritless, yet Bush and Rumsfeld and Cheney and then even COLIN POWELL treated this intelligence like it was sacrosanct.  WHY?  well, because it fit their narrative and served their purposes.

i would not take the GOP's word for it that this source was RELIABLE.  he was probably wildly UNRELIABLE, but useful to Comer and others.  in other words, here is what i am suggesting:

if there is only ONE SOURCE for a certain view that you VERIFY the source by going to something like Associated Press and seeing if they are running the same story.  if they are, then it is probably reliable.  if not, then it is probably propaganda.

i have suggested this before.  but you and others keep falling in the same trap.  and it is cancerous to intelligent debate.

GOP leadership and FOX hosts are both cancerous to intelligent debate.  

[djAdvocate]

another classic example is the lady who spawned the voter fraud theory. she is an artist from Minnesota. she has no special knowledge. she gained her "insights" by perusing the internet and by overhearing conversations at her local grocery store.

i have forgotten her name now, but her bullshit (which was picked up by Sydney Powell) eventually cost FOX almost $800M. and they are not done suing them, yet.

[tallguy]

Feb 19, 2024 12:42:16 GMT -5 djAdvocate said:

another classic example is the lady who spawned the voter fraud theory. she is an artist from Minnesota. she has no special knowledge. she gained her "insights" by perusing the internet and by overhearing conversations at her local grocery store.

i have forgotten her name now, but her bullshit (which was picked up by Sydney Powell) eventually cost FOX almost $800M. and they are not done suing them, yet.

Yeah, this one.  It is an "interesting" read.   

Meet the ‘Ghost’ Woman Fox Relied on for Voter Fraud Claims