Many readers below have repeated / liked the comment by TCinLA, which expresses agreement with Biden's pardon of his son. TC also expresses the anger that many people feel over the sense that we must be "proper" while the other side breaks the rules. I started to reply to each of the emails below, but realized that it would be more effic…
Many readers below have repeated / liked the comment by TCinLA, which expresses agreement with Biden's pardon of his son. TC also expresses the anger that many people feel over the sense that we must be "proper" while the other side breaks the rules. I started to reply to each of the emails below, but realized that it would be more efficient to do a group response. Here it is:
TC: I am not worried about being "proper." I am worried that Biden is undermining confidence in the justice system.
Many readers below say that Hunter Biden was treated unjustly because he is the president's son. That is undoubtedly true. But lots of people are treated unjustly every day because of who they are: Black teenagers; Hispanic men; trans kids; pregnant women.
But none of them have a dad who is president who can bail them out. What lesson does Biden's pardon of his son teach? Answer: If you are rich, well-connected, and white, a different standard of justice applies to you. That is a very bad message.
We aren't going to beat them by becoming them. If we do that, we lose.
"Let's bring a feather to a missile fight." These two are not the same. Your post, your opinion which I respect, but completely disagree with. 1000% I support Biden's decision to pardon Hunter. And I can only hope he pardons many people before leaving office.
I do too after reading about how they dont usually prosecute these type of cases . #Sistersinlaw discuss this as well . Hunter would be at the hands of vile, evil men who are seeking revenge not Justice. 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 way to go Joe ~ Protecting your son .
I read the Filipkowski piece, but I don't understand his logic. Biden's pardon can only put to rest Hunter's convictions on the gun application and tax charges. How can it protect him against investigations or indictments for other crimes? The pardon doesn't put a box around Patel. He is still free to pursue his revenge by opening other additional FBI investigations. Or am I wrong about the limits of the pardon power?
Robert, I understand your POV but please tell me what Biden can do for all those people you mention who aren't his son? Can he pardon all of them? If so, he should. If not, he must do everything in his power to help them. It's not an either/or situation.
No, he can't pardon them all. But he can refuse to further enforce the notion that there are two systems of justice in the US. Granting pardons to all family members of the president just became of perk of the office, whether Joe Biden intended that result or not.
There are two systems of justice in the U.S. Trump has shown us that. I am happy Biden pardoned Hunter. BTW several presidents have pardoned family members and the country survived. Tired of the pearl clutching. Tired of the Democrats must be noble and pure. And that “perk” in the Constitution doesn’t say the Presidential pardons are not allowed for family members.
He couldn’t leave his son in the clutches of a madman bent on retribution. History (if it continues to exist) will approve of his decision. Btw I believe Hunter paid his back taxes.
Dump didn’t pay for a year or two and never paid back
In my view, the analogy breaks down. It was not just because of the class of persons he belonged to that this happened to Hunter. He was the singular member of this class. It was because of his name, and it was a singular political motivation to get at Joe Biden. The president can't fix everything about the retribution agenda that Trump has promised and is trying to staff up for, but this is one place where he could cut off the path through the maze and make the aggressor turn back. His presidential power righted an injustice. Just because he can't right every injustice does not mean he should right no injustice. This particular injustice has been going on for five years at great taxpayer expense and would go on at great taxpayer expense and energy—and distraction. He set right a wrong that should not have happened. These are not normal times. The sky did not fall in when Clinton pardoned his brother on his last day, and the country apparently didn't even notice Trump's persistent pattern of personally motivated pardons that had had zero to do with achieving a justice outcome. None whatsover. I see past the "son" factor to the greater issue of justice. If anything, I see that the president was willing to take a hit to his legacy not because he loves his son, which he does, but because it was imperative to clarify what justice is and what it is not.
Susan, The only bit I would add to your otherwise astute analysis is my hope that Biden not stop the pardons with his son but instead extends them to ensure protections for all deserving persons from draconian sentencing laws.
Sadly, I am disappointed with Joe Biden's decision to pardon his son. Many Americans who formerly had issues with drugs, and then lied on court filings or other paperwork/statements, have been punished with jail time. While it may be true that Hunter was unfairly targeted and punished excessively, he was enduring the same fate as other people in his situation.
You are worried about Biden undermining confidence in the justice system when the Supreme Court just gave Trump the right to do whatever he wants? For pardoning his son who faced the prospect of Trump style justice for the purpose of revenge for his losing the 2020 election? Pardon me but that is over the top and overly scrupulous.
Emily, As someone who, 16 hours ago, posted a comment on this site that, in part, read: “I imagine Biden rightly feared for Hunter’s welfare under a Trump retributive regime,” I so appreciate you calling attention to Maddow’s deeply affecting reporting this evening.
You summed up my feelings pretty perfectly here. The fact that our justice system is so unjust in the first place is unfortunate, however the facts of the matter are that if any of us did what Hunter Biden did, we'd probably be in jail at least for a short time. It makes the Democratic Party look bad and just gives Republicans more ammo, especially after Joe Biden said he wouldn't get involved. I agree with you, we should never stoop to their level. Some of us need to be the standard bearers and have a sense of decorum.
Many readers below have repeated / liked the comment by TCinLA, which expresses agreement with Biden's pardon of his son. TC also expresses the anger that many people feel over the sense that we must be "proper" while the other side breaks the rules. I started to reply to each of the emails below, but realized that it would be more efficient to do a group response. Here it is:
TC: I am not worried about being "proper." I am worried that Biden is undermining confidence in the justice system.
Many readers below say that Hunter Biden was treated unjustly because he is the president's son. That is undoubtedly true. But lots of people are treated unjustly every day because of who they are: Black teenagers; Hispanic men; trans kids; pregnant women.
But none of them have a dad who is president who can bail them out. What lesson does Biden's pardon of his son teach? Answer: If you are rich, well-connected, and white, a different standard of justice applies to you. That is a very bad message.
We aren't going to beat them by becoming them. If we do that, we lose.
"Let's bring a feather to a missile fight." These two are not the same. Your post, your opinion which I respect, but completely disagree with. 1000% I support Biden's decision to pardon Hunter. And I can only hope he pardons many people before leaving office.
I do too after reading about how they dont usually prosecute these type of cases . #Sistersinlaw discuss this as well . Hunter would be at the hands of vile, evil men who are seeking revenge not Justice. 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 way to go Joe ~ Protecting your son .
Robert, sorry, but I agree with Ron Filipkowski here:
https://www.meidasplus.com/p/the-big-reason-why-hunters-pardon?r=17d5s&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
Thanks for sharing.
I read the Filipkowski piece, but I don't understand his logic. Biden's pardon can only put to rest Hunter's convictions on the gun application and tax charges. How can it protect him against investigations or indictments for other crimes? The pardon doesn't put a box around Patel. He is still free to pursue his revenge by opening other additional FBI investigations. Or am I wrong about the limits of the pardon power?
Robert, I understand your POV but please tell me what Biden can do for all those people you mention who aren't his son? Can he pardon all of them? If so, he should. If not, he must do everything in his power to help them. It's not an either/or situation.
No, he can't pardon them all. But he can refuse to further enforce the notion that there are two systems of justice in the US. Granting pardons to all family members of the president just became of perk of the office, whether Joe Biden intended that result or not.
Jimmy Carter pardoned his brother Billy Carter who took over $200,000 from Libya as its foreign agent.
George H.W. Bush pardoned his son Neil Bush for his role in the S&L scandals of the 1980s.
Nobody thinks those pardons defined either presidency.
Joe Biden's pardon of Hunter Biden won't either.
There are two systems of justice in the U.S. Trump has shown us that. I am happy Biden pardoned Hunter. BTW several presidents have pardoned family members and the country survived. Tired of the pearl clutching. Tired of the Democrats must be noble and pure. And that “perk” in the Constitution doesn’t say the Presidential pardons are not allowed for family members.
He couldn’t leave his son in the clutches of a madman bent on retribution. History (if it continues to exist) will approve of his decision. Btw I believe Hunter paid his back taxes.
Dump didn’t pay for a year or two and never paid back
In my view, the analogy breaks down. It was not just because of the class of persons he belonged to that this happened to Hunter. He was the singular member of this class. It was because of his name, and it was a singular political motivation to get at Joe Biden. The president can't fix everything about the retribution agenda that Trump has promised and is trying to staff up for, but this is one place where he could cut off the path through the maze and make the aggressor turn back. His presidential power righted an injustice. Just because he can't right every injustice does not mean he should right no injustice. This particular injustice has been going on for five years at great taxpayer expense and would go on at great taxpayer expense and energy—and distraction. He set right a wrong that should not have happened. These are not normal times. The sky did not fall in when Clinton pardoned his brother on his last day, and the country apparently didn't even notice Trump's persistent pattern of personally motivated pardons that had had zero to do with achieving a justice outcome. None whatsover. I see past the "son" factor to the greater issue of justice. If anything, I see that the president was willing to take a hit to his legacy not because he loves his son, which he does, but because it was imperative to clarify what justice is and what it is not.
Susan, The only bit I would add to your otherwise astute analysis is my hope that Biden not stop the pardons with his son but instead extends them to ensure protections for all deserving persons from draconian sentencing laws.
Sadly, I am disappointed with Joe Biden's decision to pardon his son. Many Americans who formerly had issues with drugs, and then lied on court filings or other paperwork/statements, have been punished with jail time. While it may be true that Hunter was unfairly targeted and punished excessively, he was enduring the same fate as other people in his situation.
You are worried about Biden undermining confidence in the justice system when the Supreme Court just gave Trump the right to do whatever he wants? For pardoning his son who faced the prospect of Trump style justice for the purpose of revenge for his losing the 2020 election? Pardon me but that is over the top and overly scrupulous.
"If you are rich, well-connected, and white, a different standard of justice applies to you."
That is the system we have.
That's certainly the message that Joe Biden just reinforced. My point is that is a bad message, and we should stop making it true.
Robert, I hope you are watching Rachel Maddow tonight, 12/2/24.
Emily, As someone who, 16 hours ago, posted a comment on this site that, in part, read: “I imagine Biden rightly feared for Hunter’s welfare under a Trump retributive regime,” I so appreciate you calling attention to Maddow’s deeply affecting reporting this evening.
You summed up my feelings pretty perfectly here. The fact that our justice system is so unjust in the first place is unfortunate, however the facts of the matter are that if any of us did what Hunter Biden did, we'd probably be in jail at least for a short time. It makes the Democratic Party look bad and just gives Republicans more ammo, especially after Joe Biden said he wouldn't get involved. I agree with you, we should never stoop to their level. Some of us need to be the standard bearers and have a sense of decorum.
https://www.threads.net/@meidas_meeneesmom/post/DDGSbZku2LG?xmt=AQGzwoWFoECwHK14vqwpx8MIZ80LSTu0SxLhCHt_genrKQ