The pardon of Arapio is a disgrace to this nation.

[madaboutharry]

It is appalling. The president has no respect for the rule of law.

I am ashamed of my country. Trump has brought dishonor to the office of the presidency and to America.

[panader0]

1. Arpaio hasn't even been sentenced yet.

This is a first.

[global1]

4. Accepting The Pardon Is An Admission Of Guilt....nt

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

53. That's true. Somebody ought to mention that to Trump and Arpaio.

It isn't like reversing a conviction. A pardon means he's guilty; he just doesn't have to serve the sentence.

[imanamerican63]

31. Actually, Ford pardoned Nixon before he was charge with a crime.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

51. No, it isn't. It's possible to pardon someone who

hasn't even been charged yet. That's what Ford did for Nixon - he pardoned him for any crimes he might have committed.

[dchill]

58. And yet, I believe, it's an admission of guilt.

[Jake Stern]

65. Burdick v. United States

Suggests that accepting a pardon is an admission of guilt.

[MFM008]

2. A CAT 4 bearing down

On the US and fuktwatter pardons this tub.

[mnhtnbb]

3. Trump needs to be removed from office. Period. I don't care how.

He is nothing but a giant pile of shit.

[livetohike]

5. +1,000,000 and I am getting sick of calling my Senators

and Rep and saying this same thing.

[Pacifist Patriot]

74. No kidding! I'm running out of unique material.

Not that calling one of my Senators and my Rep has any real affect. So frustrating!

[True_Blue]

78. Seriously!

He could be impeached for any number of reasons ... obstruction of justice, treason, mental incompetence ... take your pick. Our lawmakers need to do their job and remove him asap.

[Glimmer of Hope]

6. He is blatantly supporting a racist. I am so disgusted.

[johnp3907]

14. You know what's disgusting?

The "he" you mention could easily be Arpaio. Racists support each other.

[sharedvalues]

15. Worse. The president IS a racist.

By saying the stuff about both sides that he said, he announced that he is on the same side as racists. Indeed, that is is one.

[LittleBlue]

7. I would caution against making this a central issue

We always win when we make it about policy and focus on the issues. Arpaio is a distraction from the Russian spying and general incompetence. The regime will be hoping we lose our focus and debate this sheriff.

[still_one]

29. There are many central issues, and this is one of them. Arpaio is NOT a distraction, the so-called

president of the U.S. is a racist.

[LittleBlue]

35. The average voter can only focus on one or two things at once

They aren't like the political junkies on DU. Some only turn on the TV, listen to the lead story, and mute the rest to eat dinner. Arpaio is a distraction that the vast majority of voters haven't even been following and don't care about as an issue.

[SergeStorms]

62. I agree.

I believe half of the bat-shit-crazy stuff Trump does is just to derail the opposition from their core message. I realize it's not a presidential election year, but Trump is always campaigning.

We, on DU, can afford to tear Trump to shreds on every stupid thing he does. Our Democratic leaders can't. They have to focus on the issues which voters think are most important. We can't demand that they act - or react - to the same things we find completely revolting from our racist shit-cannon in chief.

That's just my opinion. Your mileage may vary.

[LittleBlue]

68. Exactly. Completely agree. Focus on the message that influences voters

Don't get sidetracked by Trump's buffoonery. Let him be Punch to the establishment GOP's Judy. We stay out of it and let them kill each other. Sheriff Joe is another distraction.

[still_one]

71. This isn't "buffoonery", this is about CIVIL RIGHTS, and that is a major

issue.

[SergeStorms]

73. Wasting your energy.....

being mad at Trump is futile......at the moment. Hey, I do it too, and it IS about civil rights. It's about EVERYONE'S rights, but wasting our energy while Trump is in power, and having a Republican controlled Congress that won't do diddly about ANYTHING, can't consume us. Fight it, rail against it, but don't let it consume us. It's an exercise in futility right now.

We'll get our chances to rectify Trump's abuses, but it's going to take time. In the meantime, we can't drain our resources and energy NOW. Save a little for LATER, when WE'LL have the power to do something about it.


I really don't mean to be argumentative. It's just a difference of opinion about when and where to focus our energies. We're all in this together.

[radius777]

8. This is a civil rights issue.

Arpaio is a repeat violator of the civil and constitutional rights of suspects and inmates, and to pardon this animal is to take a dump on what America stands (or should stand) for.

[struggle4progress]

12. +

[sharedvalues]

13. The president is a racist.

This is what happens when the GOP dogwhistles to racists for years.

Eventually the GOP gets a candidate that says their racist message out loud.

[still_one]

72. and that is a major issue

[lpbk2713]

9. It truly is.

It seems like every day Trump tries to outdo himself in his personal best level of disgust.

[Delphinus]

10. I am livid!

I can't find words to express how much I despise this man.

[Bradshaw3]

32. You put my thoughts into words. Thanks.

[MyOwnPeace]

37. And...........

the confusion regarding how even ONE SINGLE PERSON (other than Arpaio!) can even consider supporting this vile person!

[SCVDem]

38. Agree

We really are not a united states.

Either he goes or we do! California is big enough to bitch slap this orange menace!

I missed Adam Schiff's district by a couple blocks.

[OliverQ]

55. I would totally move 2 blocks over just to have him as my Rep.

[sharedvalues]

11. The president is a racist.

Last edited Fri Aug 25, 2017, 09:15 PM - Edit history (1)

Arpaio is too old to have gotten much jail time, and probably would have gotten probation.

But this pardon means the president is a racist.

[Stonepounder]

16. It is more than just a disgrace. It drops us into a Constitutional Crisis.

It is not that Arpaio violated the civil rights of people who looked hispanic, it is that he thumbed his nose at a Federal Court, and Trump said, "That's OK, you were doing something I approve of, so screw the courts." So, what next? He puts out a new Executive Order banning immigration from Mexico, SCOTUS says no, he tells ICE, to hell with SCOTUS, go ahead and ban them and if you get arrested, I'll just pardon you.

We need for the ACLU to file suit immediately on behalf of the folks whose rights were violated and appeal this right up to SCOTUS. Otherwise, we have just lost the power of the courts to use an injunction to stop anything that Trump thinks is OK.

Folks, we are really in deep, serious trouble.

[onenote]

48. The Supreme Court ruled in 1925 that the presidential pardon power applies to criminal contempt

A lawsuit challenging the pardon will go nowhere. The pardon power is unlimited except in the case of impeachment.

[Initech]

52. I'd go a step further and say it's an act of war.

He literally threw 85 years of progress and over 1/2 the population under the bus tonight just to please his bigoted base.

[smirkymonkey]

17. There are no words to express my disgust.

This is just nauseating.

[mdbl]

18. arapio is disgusting, and so is trump

a match made in heaven.

For those that don't know about the pig that the pig just pardoned.....

https://www.aclu.org/blog/immigrants-rights/five-reasons-racist-sheriff-joe-arpaio-should-not-receive-presidential-pardon

Unfortunately, trump can't read, the idiot.

[rebe303]

49. Pigs

Actual pigs behave and are MUCH better creatures than these two scumbags.

[TNNurse]

19. And the timing makes it worse.

His total attention should be on the needs of the people in the path of a Cat 4 hurricane. He should have no other focus. Not that he knows what needs to be done but he should be checking in with the people who do.

[MyOwnPeace]

40. The timing - it was planned!

It's Orange Cheat-o's F-U to any citizen that has even a clue regarding the rights of citizens and an ounce of care regarding any and all American citizens!

GAWD help us all!!!!!!!!!

[MrPurple]

43. He wanted it to be part of a late Friday news dump, hurricane was a bonus to distract people

[spanone]

20. K&R...

[BigmanPigman]

21. This fake prez is a disgrace to the nation.

[ailsagirl]

46. fake prez is right

It always burns me up when I hear or read someone referring to that clod by his "title."

[paleotn]

22. I've been ashamed of my country since...

Nov. 7, 2016

[tiptonic]

23. Putin

I bet 'pootie' is laughing his a#@ off.

[Juliusseizure]

24. Self-destructive nod to shrinking base

This is a great way to permanently alienate latinos from the GOP party. I'm sure AZ Republicans are thrilled. Correct me if I'm wrong.

He'll do anything to make his racist base happy. The wall won't go anywhere so this is all he can do.

[shenmue]

25. Let's all throw up

[greatauntoftriplets]

26. A group puke!

[shenmue]

30. Amen

[DesertRat]

27. Here's the statement from Phoenix mayor, Greg Stanton

[oasis]

28. This Pardon Brought to You By the "Law and Order Adminisration".

[LovingA2andMI]

33. Trump Is A Racist...

Just Like His Daddy Was.

[Initech]

34. And it's all to piss off liberals, because that's what Fox News told them.

They are not doing anything for the country, its all party loyalty. I consider the pardoning of Arpaio an act of war.

[VOX]

36. Cowardly, too, to pull this shit when weekend news bandwidth is all-hurricane...

From one racist to another.

I'm hard-pressed to think of any other U.S. public servant who I've hated more than the loping pile of shit that America has been thrust into.

[Eliot Rosewater]

39. All who committed treason along with him will be pardoned and the GOP

will say "so?"

America is over.

Protect your family.

[hay rick]

41. Trump pardoned him because of Arpaio's racism.

No other reason. He is doubling down on Charlottesville. The people who defended Trump then will defend him now. Trump is exposing the longtime "moderate Republican" charade of claiming to support social liberalism and fiscal conservatism. The social liberalism part was superficially credible as long as the overt displays of racism in the party were occasional and kept off page 1. The Republicans who now consent to Trump's racism with their silence are being exposed for the hypocrites they always were.

[Deb]

42. Smell that? Its the Racist Republican party

the arapio republicans, no washing that stink off, not as long as we're alive

[Perseus]

44. I wish people would stop blaming only Trump

It must be said over and over that "Trump and the GOP" or "Trump and the Republican Party", but don't blame Trump alone, these things do not happen in a vacuum.

I used to think that it was the Democrats who had no balls, but the Republican party has proven that not only their sustained hunger for power, their lack of principles, but the fear they have to contradict this deranged man. Little Rubio is working hard at proving that he is "Little Rubio" but answering with Bible quotes not facing the madman directly; Ryan, who shows himself in pictures lifting weights, talks hard to constituents who do not agree with him, has remained very quiet, and you can go on, and on that list. So please, use the whole package, it is "Trump and the GOP".

[madaboutharry]

50. Republicans are contaminated with Trump.

[Cosmocat]

56. YEP

The rebukes need to own him.

[ailsagirl]

45. It's only a foretaste, methinks, of the future

It is absolutely appalling but who among us is really surprised?

[SCantiGOP]

47. Makes perfect sense

Goes along with his telling police to be less gentle in arrests, and promising that he will use pardons to overturn court orders if you are on his side.
A definite prerequisite to get to fascism.

[Enoki33]

54. It is a slap in the faces of our nation, the constitution,

the rule of law and a clear message to people like Manafort. Never felt less pride in being American. tRump even used a national disaster as cover.

[lordsummerisle]

57. Does the pardon only pertain to past crimes?

If Arpaio, say, got a part-time job as a federal cop and started profiling like he used to would he be covered under the pardon?
This would be leading up to, what if Trump suddenly pardoned himself while still in office? Would that mean he could act with impunity thereafter?

[Turbineguy]

59. It's why Trump was put there.

To disgrace the nation.

And he's rather good at it.

[Warren DeMontague]

60. that's why I was pretty sure he would do it.

I ask myself, in any given situation- what is the absolute worst, most appalling move that could be made here?

And sure enough..

[SergeStorms]

61. Trump is a disgrace to this nation.

And everything he does is a disgrace. I cannot recall one thing he's done to make America proud that he's our president. NOT ONE SINGLE THING.

[Blue Owl]

63. The slave master is pleased

Go fuck yourself Trump.

[More_Cowbell]

64. Donate to AZ Democrats as a protest?

I saw a site suggesting this.

[Jake Stern]

66. It is BUT

1. His accepting the pardon, especially after conviction, is an admission of guilt. The conviction is still on his record. (see Burdick v. United States)

2. It doesn't stop any civil action against him.

[fishwax]

67. The GOP spent eight years trying to scorch the earth to hamper Obama, and now we

again see the consequences. This is, indeed, a disgrace to our nation. Arpaio, like Trump, was a big booster of the racist Obama birth certificate story. The republicans let all this shit fester when they thought it served their purposes. They own this mess, from top to bottom.

[Lifelong Protester]

69. Racist act.

He might as well have been marching August 12 .

[Buns_of_Fire]

70. Drilling deeper into his drooling, brain-dead base.

And the more he endears himself to them, the less any semi-sane republican congresscritters -- supposedly safe in their gerrymandered districts -- will dare to oppose anything he does (lest he call out his flying monkeys to upset their gravy trains).

[alfredo]

75. And everyone targeted by Mueller sighed in relief,

knowing they will also be pardoned if they don't cooperate with Mueller.

[ancianita]

76. If pardons become agent orange's MO, the Supremes must shut him down.

How legal appeals on his pardons can get that far, I don't know. But the legal fights against his pardons must begin. And soon.

[lsewpershad]

77. The biggest disgrace

Is the pardoner

[RiverStone]

79. And gives not a shit about the damage!

2018 must reflect the beginning of taking back oir country!