New York Lt. Gov. Brian Benjamin arrested in campaign finance scheme

[Schism]

I don't mind whataboutism if it's relevant, has significance and, most importantly, makes a point on equivalence. You can either say "Look, everybody crooked" or "The Dems are crooked (but not the Reps)". You don't say, at best only imply, either one. In either case, you've no statistical support but for one, single event. That it's the Dems. You don't have any statistical support of Dems more than Reps except for, possibly, the #2 position in the state of NY.

Try to focus: New York Lt. Gov. Brian Benjamin arrested in campaign finance scheme

 

[bluesmoke]

He resigned last night I heard.

Yeah. But let's see what happens to him and that developer by legal action.

 

[bluesmoke]

Try to focus: New York Lt. Gov. Brian Benjamin arrested in campaign finance scheme

I hope that both he and the developer, if proven guilty of what is alleged, go to jail.

Beyond your myopic focus is that fact of equivalence and your lack of any point made in your OP beyond that of a single event that does not necessarily define anything than human nature. Focus: What's your point?

 

[Kreton]

Revisionist history. You called the laptop itself a conspiracy theory. You were buying the "Russian disinformation" line in 2020, just like you're buying the "nothing of consequence" line today.

There was a congressional inquiry and special investigation that concluded that his campaign colluded with Russian, multiple convictions, and he only avoided prosecution because it concluded that a sitting Potus couldn't be charged.

Not quite the same.

 

[NatMorton]

There was a congressional inquiry and special investigation that concluded that his campaign colluded with Russian, multiple convictions, and he only avoided prosecution because it concluded that a sitting Potus couldn't be charged.

Not quite the same.

There was no Russian collusion. That has been proven false (unless, of course, you want to count the Russian disinformation used by the Hillary Clinton campaign in their successful attempt to use the DOJ as an investigative arm of the DNC, but I digress.)

 

[TomFitz]

Let the chips fall where they may.

 

[TU Curmudgeon]

1. The emails can and were verified.

SOME were.

1. Hunter Biden was asked about the laptop that contained photos and videos of him banging hookers and smoking crack and he said "it could be" his.

I can tell you right now that if someone claimed to have found a laptop with photos/videos of me banging prostitutes and smoking crack I could undeniably say it wasn't true. Only someone who takes pictures of himself banging hookers and smoking crack could be confused by it. You can very clearly see it is him.

While "the laptop" COULD be (and appears likely to have been) Mr. Biden's there is still no verification of the contents of the memory.

While I realize that you are going to take that as me denying that the contents are actually the results of Mr. Biden, any reasonably literate person will see that all that I am saying is that the contents have not ALL been verified as having been created by Mr. Biden.

Now while I acknowledge that it is "The Conservative Position" than absolutely anything that is even as closely related to any Democrat politician as something that their cousin's next-door neighbour's high school sweetheart's former boyfriend's sister-in-law's Great Grandfather did back when they were drunk back in 1950 is **T*O*T*A*L*L*Y** relevant to what the politician's actual qualifications are, but I do find myself just a bit more than slightly reluctant to adopt that position. I realize that you don't.

PS - I do note that it is "The Liberal Position" than absolutely anything that is even as closely related to any Republican politician as something that their cousin's next-door neighbour's high school sweetheart's former boyfriend's sister-in-law's Great Grandfather did back when they were drunk back in 1950 is **T*O*T*A*L*L*Y** relevant to what the politician's actual qualifications are. I have the same slight difficulty with that position.

 

[TU Curmudgeon]

There was a congressional inquiry and special investigation that concluded that his campaign colluded with Russian, multiple convictions, and he only avoided prosecution because it concluded that a sitting Potus couldn't be charged.

Not quite the same.

True.

The conclusion was NOT that "a sitting Potus [sic] couldn't be charged" (emphasis) but rather that "it was policy that a sitting President shouldn't be charged while still in office". There is a slight difference between the two.

 

[bluesmoke]

True.

The conclusion was NOT that "a sitting Potus [sic] couldn't be charged" (emphasis) but rather that "it was policy that a sitting President shouldn't be charged while still in office". There is a slight difference between the two.

Regardless of which, Mueller could have found that Trump committed obstruction based on the evidence uncovered in the investigation.

 

[TU Curmudgeon]

Regardless of which, Mueller could have found that Trump committed obstruction based on the evidence uncovered in the investigation.

Yes he COULD. However extant DOJ policy precluded him from doing so.

Since he could NOT "release the report" until after the DOJ upper echelons had approved of it, there wasn't much point in him putting in something that he knew would be taken out and so he fell back on the "Here are the facts that we found. Now it is up to Congress to decide whether or not to proceed further and, if it does, how it wants to proceed." conclusion that he did reach.

 

[bluesmoke]

You need clarification about the significance of the #2 pol in NY State being arrested for bribery?

LOL

I asked you an honest, forthright question. I'll try again:

Are you saying Dems commit more crime than Reps? If you can't prove that, then you're cherry-picking a single case that is not representative of the Dems any more than the Reps. In that context of equivalence, all you can say is "Both sides do it." Otherwise, what you say is of no significance.

 

[bluesmoke]

In the past year the governor and now lt governor of New York have had career ending scandals

How many governors, by political affiliation, have had career ending scandals in the past, including convictions, one party significantly worse than the other? Otherwise, one party is no diff than the other.

 

[bluesmoke]

What's shocking is that someone got arrested. We all know that corruption in Govt. is not an isolated incident. We all could go through all of Congress and find a reason to put the scum in jail as long as it's not our scum. 2000 years ago the bible recognized that a kingdom divided cannot stand and here we are as a nation sorely divided. We have learned nothing. We tolerate corruption. It's everywhere. From the cops on the street to the White House. We toss our hands in the air and complain about the other person, the other party, some piece of legislation.... and yet we return to the polls and vote our favorite crook into office again and again.

Doesn't anyone think it's strange that Trump is playing golf and maybe preparing to run again after trying to overthrow the legally elected Govt? Please don't tell me that the prosecution is gathering evidence.... Trump will never serve a day in jail. Never. We aren't the kind of country that puts the leader of the opposition in jail because that would set a precedent that neither side wants, what happens illegally at the top could actually matter. I cite Nixon, Clinton and Trump as evidence and I am sure many of you could add more names without breaking into a sweat.

My historical perspective tells me that we have crossed the line where right and wrong matter. At this point it's just a matter of time until a group seizes power to "protect" the country. Trump's revolution was doomed from day one, but the reality is he didn't have an intelligent plan to accomplish his goal from the get go. I think the next time we see something like Jan. 6 it will be successful and god help those on the wrong side of the revolution. It's going to be a bloodbath, because the decades of hate will boil over just like it has all through history;

“Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” Sir Winston Churchill​

Not so shocking to me.

 

[bluesmoke]

[1] Not with the frequency that I would prefer.

[2] The definition of "crooked" is incredibly fungible and really depends on whether the politician is one of "Us" or one of "Them" - doesn't it?

Yup on all counts. I was taking "crooked" as meaning "illegal" meaning "criminal" meaning "convicted" of a crime, as we are otherwise presumed innocent.

 

[Crovax]

How many governors, by political affiliation, have had career ending scandals in the past, including convictions, one party significantly worse than the other? Otherwise, one party is no diff than the other.

I didn't mention political affiliation at all. Interesting that you went there

 

[bluesmoke]

Try to focus: New York Lt. Gov. Brian Benjamin arrested in campaign finance scheme

What are you trying to say? That Dem govs get arrested, though not necessarily convicted, significantly more often than Reps? Or do you think there is no diff? Please clarify.

 

[bluesmoke]

Yes he COULD. However extant DOJ policy precluded him from doing so.

Since he could NOT "release the report" until after the DOJ upper echelons had approved of it, there wasn't much point in him putting in something that he knew would be taken out and so he fell back on the "Here are the facts that we found. Now it is up to Congress to decide whether or not to proceed further and, if it does, how it wants to proceed." conclusion that he did reach.

Yup. Mueller backed down. Refusing to release the report would make the DOJ look bad at the time, and in history, regarding that one decision.

 

[The AntiDonald]

Little or no support, are you joking? Look at how the establishment rallied around the Biden camp when the news broke on Hunter Biden's laptop just before the 2020 elections.

It's 2022 now. Anything new on Hunters indictments or for that matter on Joe's? The DOJ's job is to prosecute crimes. If they happen to come from a democrat, so be it. I sure don't want to hear all the complaints when the coup plotters start getting indicted.

 

[bluesmoke]

I didn't mention political affiliation at all. Interesting that you went there

Then you agree wrongdoers are no more of one political affiliation than another? That is my point, a comment which is germane to your statement.

 

[Cope]

What's your point? I can only guess. Please clarify. Crooked pols are arrested everywhere.

They are but I sure do see the defense of all the others as clean, wholesome and good.

The sooner you all realize that they all need to go and that we need better, more, enforceable policy in getting money out of politics, the better off we will all be.

 

[Crovax]

Then you agree wrongdoers are no more of one political affiliation than another?

Yes

 

[bluesmoke]

They are but I sure do see the defense of all the others as clean, wholesome and good.

The sooner you all realize that they all need to go and that we need better, more, enforceable policy in getting money out of politics, the better off we will all be.

You're conjuring what will never be. "All need to go" isn't going to happen. The courts have gone in distinctly opposite direction of "...getting money out of politics". Both are so, regardless on anyone's realization.

 

[TU Curmudgeon]

You're conjuring what will never be. "All need to go" isn't going to happen. The courts have gone in distinctly opposite direction of "...getting money out of politics". Both are so, regardless on anyone's realization.

In the US "tossing the bastards out" has the same meaning as if 'the mice' were to say "We are tired of being ruled by 'striped cats' (for the benefit of 'cats'). Let's toss all the 'striped cats' out of office and put in a bunch of 'spotted cats' (who will rule us for the benefit of 'cats').".

Putting 'the mice' in charge is simply not one of the available and acceptable options.

 

[Cope]

In the US "tossing the bastards out" has the same meaning as if 'the mice' were to say "We are tired of being ruled by 'striped cats' (for the benefit of 'cats'). Let's toss all the 'striped cats' out of office and put in a bunch of 'spotted cats' (who will rule us for the benefit of 'cats').".

Putting 'the mice' in charge is simply not one of the available and acceptable options.

Oh, it CAN be done but not as long as we allow them to keep dividing us. They are very good at that, and most of the people on this very board are those that just lap up that gruel they are told is lobster and steak, and ask for seconds.