From the Guardian:
“Had I been President Biden,” Romney said, “when the justice department brought out indictments, I would have immediately pardoned him. I’d have pardoned President Trump.”
“Why? Well, because it makes me, President Biden, the big guy and the person I pardoned the little guy. And, number two, it’s not going to get resolved before the election. It’s not going to have an impact before the election. And, frankly, the country doesn’t want to have to go through prosecuting a former president.”
Mitt and the GOP are still dangerously clueless — and ethical and moral cowards. I remember Watergate and Ford’s pardon of Nixon. That was a big mistake. And Ford (partially) paid for it. Nixon should have gone on trial. Instead, Ford set the pattern that connected White Guys get a free pass.
There is a direct line from Nixon, who Eisenhower despised as a crook, to Trump and the current GOP. If we had convicted Nixon, Reagan’s crimes (remember Ollie North?), Bush Sr, (Mr “Plausible Deniability”), and now Trump would have thought twice or maybe three times before launching into their crimes.
So yes, we need these trials and convictions. Nothing less. In each of these trials and convictions we need to set the precedent that no matter who you are (I’m really talking about the wealthy well connected) if you do the crime, you do the time, big time. Trump’s sentences should be the maximum on each count and consecutive, not concurrent or “time served” or “He’s learned his lesson...”, or “He’s old and will die in prison (soon).” That is what Susan Collins said at his impeachment and look how that turned out. Flabby (both physically and mentally/morally) White Guys need at least one, if not many, Scared Shitless moment in their lives.
When a man knows he is to be hanged in a fortnight, it concentrates his mind wonderfully.
— Samuel Johnson, September 19, 1777.*
In fact, take them all down. There should be no leniency. Not necessarily due to the magnitude of the crime but because of the magnitude of any such crimes committed at that level of power they acquired in the government. We, the people, put our national trust in these people and they violated it. Repeatedly. With malice and forethought. Assuming immunity thanks to Ford’s misguided “concern for the country”.
Enough already.
* Ironically in the circumstances, Johnson was referring to an Anglican clergyman William Dodd.
