Stone was obviously Trump's answer to the SCOTUS decision that nobody is above the law.

[C Moon]

I didn't bat an eye when I heard the news.
I knew it was coming.
I also believe that the very rich ARE above the law.

I heard on FB that a neighbor said Stone is throwing a party. No masks. A large sign that reads "fuck CNN." (I can't validate this, but it wouldn't surprise me).

I also think that somehow this will backfire on Trump. Everything the GOP with Trump has done this year has backfired. He doesn't plan things, he acts out of malice.

[leftieNanner]

1. Because Trump is convinced that he will get away with it

He has so far. The key words there are SO FAR.

Barr has protected him and encouraged his lawlessness.

Let's hope that eventually there are consequences for this.

God help us.

[katmondoo]

5. Barr is the one helping Trump to find the flaws in laws.

He isn't smart enough on his own.

[leftieNanner]

8. Absolutely true.

And McConnell is happy to look the other way.

I hope journalists get in front of every Republican Senator and ask them what they think of the Stone issue.

I'm not sleeping well these days. I hope some of them are having the same problem.

[Newest Reality]

2. Meanwhile...

Meanwhile, the collateral damage of all that is killing us, breaking our backs, making us homeless, etc.

[Ferrets are Cool]

3. I thought the very same thing. nt

[BKDem]

4. Trump has found the flaw in every measure intended to limit a President's power.

The Founders didn't imagine that anyone as shameless as Donald Trump could capture Presidency *and* that an entire political party would just shrug its shoulders and look the other way.

[leftieNanner]

9. And the Founders didn't figure on a corrupt AG

like Barr allowing all this to happen.

[kurtcagle]

10. I'm not sure that's true

The Constitution isn't perfect by a long shot. It is too vague in several places, it was put in place when the country was much smaller and when communication was still largely accomplished on foot or horseback. It was a compromise to pull in a reluctant South, and here we are, 160 years later, fighting the same war as we did in 1860. It's always been subject to the potential for corruption. The problem that corrupt politicians face is simple - they still, at the end of their term, have to face the voters. Trump has succeeded (to whatever extent that is) in his businesses primarily because there's never really been any kind of check on his power, and most of his businesses have failed for the same reason.

Every single referendum that he's faced SINCE his election has gone badly for him. The GOP was routed in 2018 in a political cycle that should have gone their way just on the basis of which seats were involved, His track record in campaigning for politicians has been abysmal - only about 20% of those he backed were actually elected. He's never really had to directly face the voters on the basis of his record, and for all that he's an old man, he's a novice politician.

[BKDem]

11. You're right that he hasn't been as successful as he might have been had he been smart or competent.

Thank god for that. But Trump's reign has demonstrated that the nation doesn't have a workable mechanism for removing a madman or wannabe tyrant except in regularly scheduled elections, so long as the bad guy has enough loyalists in key positions of power, A majority of supporters is preferred, but not required.

[C_U_L8R]

6. Here's hoping investigators and prosecutors held back a few charges for this exact scenario

No one is surprised by Trump's criminality. You'd expect good prosecutors have plotted the strategy thoroughly.... including what to do about the President's expected obstruction. We may have to wait some more months and definitely have to do our job (overwhelming) at the ballot box. There will be justice... one way or another.

[kurtcagle]

7. Definitely giving the finger

And yes, there will be repercussions.

Romney has already opened up his denunciation in the Senate, and as Trump's numbers continue to slip, there's a growing number of GOP politicians that are weighing the reality and seeing him being not worth their political futures. That Stone wouldn't serve a day in jail under his administration was a foregone conclusion, but Trump doing it now has only added fuel to the attack ads against him. Politically it would have been far better for him to have waited until after November, at which point he would have been able to give him a full pardon. People would have grumbled, but he would have gotten away from him. Now Stone is tainted as being an ex-con.