Lock HER Up?

So in the middle of being on the cusp of war, impeachment, and God knows what else, the Trump administration’s Justice Department has meekly announced that their investigation into Hillary Clinton and the Clinton Foundation has found the following: NOTHING.

Oh, you didn’t hear the news? Buried under all the other scandals of the Trump regime, the findings barely got a mention by the mainstream media. And why would it? It pales in comparison to all of the other misdeeds of this administration. But the fact the Justice Department didn’t even have a press conference speaks volumes about where we are in the political environment in Washington, D.C.

For those of you who didn’t even know about this investigation into the Clinton’s, you’re not alone. This inquiry is the one that Attorney General Bill Barr, who also moonlights as Trump’s lawyer (sarcasm alert) , started several months ago. And by the way, it wasn’t because there was ample reason to open the investigation. He did it to appease the president. He wanted his political rival investigated, and damn it, Barr decided that was a splendid idea. Isn’t that what all previous attorney generals have done?

The answer to that rhetorical question is an emphatic no, of course. This is not the real world. This is the beautiful reality TV world of Donald J. Trump. Nothing is done according to norms and precedence. What would have once been unheard of in previous administrations, is now considered perfectly normal by one political party. ‘Privately,’ we’re told, Republicans are ‘deeply’ concerned. Really? I’d love to be in on some of those private conversations. I wish we had some recordings.

How many more investigations into the Clinton’s are we going to have? Since the early 1990s, we’ve seen Republicans go after them with a vengeance rarely seen in politics. And other than a bogus impeachment for lying about a consensual affair, nothing has come out of ANY of them.

What’s even more pathetic is that just the other night in Toledo, Ohio, Trump was at it again at one of his cult rallies, railing on Hillary and saying she ought to be in jail. Most of the media doesn’t even give it a mention. For the millionth time, this is the stuff commonly seen in banana republics. If we’re not there yet, we’re perilously close.

But even out of all of this madness, sometimes karma strikes and justice is served. The once honorable Michael Flynn, Trump’s National Security Advisor for a second, and former United States Army Lieutenant General is now awaiting sentencing for lying to the FBI and misrepresenting his work advancing the interests of the Turkish government. Mr. “lock her up” is now the one that’s going to be locked up. I can’t think of a guy more worthy of a prison sentence.

Who can forget Flynn during the 2016 campaign, leading a chorus of hatred and boos directed at Mrs. Clinton? He was one of many, of course, but his fall from grace was steep and fast. I saw the “lock her up” video the other night, which I’ve seen countless times before. It still makes my skin crawl.

The irony for Mr. Flynn is the fact that it wasn’t long ago that Robert Mueller’s prosecutor’s had recommended a sentence of zero months, based on his cooperation in the Russian election interference probe. He initially pleaded guilty to the charges and was one of the first Trump campaign advisors to work with Mueller’s team actively.

But, he squandered all the goodwill away. The judge in his case was having none of the prosecutor’s request to go easy on Flynn. U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan, in a December 18, 2018 sentencing hearing blasted Flynn’s attorneys for appearing to play down his offenses. Sullivan told Flynn, “Arguably, you sold your country out.” Ouch. It all went downhill after that. He changed attorneys, who tried to claim Flynn was entrapped into pleading guilty. It didn’t work.

Flynn also stopped cooperating in the trial of his former business partner, who was on trial for illegally lobbying for Turkey. The partner, Bijan Rafiekian, was convicted, but a judge threw it out because of “insufficient” evidence.

Flynn’s actions surrounding his former business partner were the foundation for prosecutors withdrawing their request for leniency toward Flynn. They now are recommending Flynn serve up to six months in prison. His sentencing hearing is set for January 28. My how the mighty have fallen.

I’m sure the president of the United States will soon apologize for continuing to go after his last political rival. Perhaps a helicopter press conference? Maybe Bill Barr will do one with him. Both are such exceptional upstanding individuals, are they not?

How much more should Hillary Clinton have to endure? Not one investigation has found her guilty of anything. She’s nothing but a punching bag for the current president. Right-wing media plays right along in these disgusting attacks. After all, talk show windbag Rush Limbaugh used to suggest she was responsible for one-time aid Vince Foster’s death, which was ruled a suicide. He thought nothing of calling daughter Chelsea ugly. It’s one big joke for these people.

But the real joke this January 28 will be on Michael Flynn. Hopefully, the judge listens to prosecutors and gives him up to six months. I wish it would be even more. But, knowing he’s likely to serve time while Hillary Clinton remains a private citizen, living her life as she sees fit, is beyond satisfying.

Of course, Trump could pardon Flynn. It certainly wouldn’t surprise anyone. For now, though, it looks like he’s going to spend some time in the slammer. “Lock her up,” Michael Flynn? Sometimes people do get what they deserve. We can only hope that the current president suffers the same fate.