No to Todd Blanche (Part 2)
On June 16th I wrote that Todd Blanche was a “losing bet” to be attorney general. In a classic case of what goes around, the White House is begging two of the senators it targeted for defeat to help get the attorney general nominee confirmed. Both John Cornyn and Thom Tillis sit on the Judiciary committee and Trump needs their vote. All the democrats are going to vote against Blanche and Trump needs all the republicans to vote for him in order to get it out of committee. A single nay vote from a republican will kill the nomination. And I hope both Cornyn and Tillis will tell the president to go pound sand. Blanche should not be attorney general. Like so many of the “Justice” Department appointees, Blanche (like Pam Bondi) was one of Trumps personal lawyers. I do not begrudge him for fiercely defending his client when Trump was a private citizen.
Trump fired Pam (Blondie) Bondi for not pursuing his multitude of enemies aggressively enough. Blanche has gotten the hint and has zealously attempted to prosecute – or is it persecute – those that Trump wants targeted. Blanche also was involved in the scandalous settlement of Trump’s suit against the IRS which resulted in a $1.776 fund to pay those “weaponized” by the Biden Administration and a shielding of Trump and his family from any IRS audits. Both Cornyn and Tillis strongly oppose the settlement. Although Blanche says that the settlement is dead – it isn’t. Absent a written change to the underlying settlement, it could be revived through a breach of contract lawsuit brought in the future by Trump. Both Cornyn and Tillis insist that the fund needs to be nullified in order to consider voting for Blanche.
So Blanche is still acting as the president’s personal lawyer even though he is interim attorney general. That should be disqualifying. Yes I know that Eric Holder said that he was Obama’s “wing man” – I thought that was disqualifying too. I think that Tillis will vote for Blanche and that Cornyn will not – or at least I hope that will be the outcome because Todd Blanche should not be confirmed as attorney general.
Today’s essay reminds me of All THE PRESIDENTS MEN, when the writers became aware of the extent of the political spying. Not just on Democrats, but extended to Republicans as well..
A repeat of our own Gov Lee, who targeted and removed Republicans over questions about vouchers, with out-of-state money..
Nixon secretly went after all his rivals. Trump will openly attack his own party. his own loyalty like shifting sand..
Of course Trump could be successful in the nomination . Because his supporters will put the fear in anyone who opposes Trump..
I think it’s interesting that Trump-picks are lawyers who know all the dirt. YES ! A vigorous lawyer Blanche is. Just like our own local lawyers- defending those accused, some of heinous crimes. And winning..
Elon Musk put forward the idea of robots controlling convicted criminals, stopping them fm future crime [ electrek, 2025]..
Blanche will be a robot- but not THAT kind of robot.
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Again, I do not fault lawyers for defending their clients – that is what they are supposed to do. What I do fault is the attorney general acting like the president’s personal lawyer.
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This is from a reader.
Here’s my opinion on loyalty.
In order to be a “loyal” person you have to be a principled person.
An unprincipled person can only provide transactional loyalty; quid pro quo’s.
Transactional loyalty isn’t loyalty. Its transaction.
Some of my most “loyal” friends and associates tell me no.
Trump needs some “no” men.
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I will add that , after serving on jury twice & removed another time, I do object to the strategy of defense lawyers, to attack the character of the victims…
Blanche seems to be reserved, in his way. But I think he will do what you said in-essay: learn fm Bondi & heighten more polarity…and gossip.
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