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American gratitude has no room for accountability

11 16
28.11.2024

Happy Thanksgiving.

Peach and Blossom are thankful. As is usual on this purely American holiday, the president earlier this week pardoned the two aforementioned turkeys - sparing them from execution and dismemberment accompanied by a knife, fork and assorted side dishes with which many Ozempic-using Americans celebrate Thanksgiving.

Joe Biden worked the rope line on the South Lawn of the White House, cracking wise and joking with his eager supporters while brash young press aides wrangled the press eager to cover the moment. One press wrangler got particularly testy about entry, prompting one veteran reporter to ask “Are they going to fingerprint us too?” as they worked their way toward the president.

As Biden noted, it was the last time as president he was pardoning a couple of turkeys. You could take that several ways, but it was met with a couple of audible gasps from the back of the crowd of supporters, to which another reporter said words to the effect of “aren’t you the same guys that forced him out?” But it was said quietly, with reverence, and only nearby reporters chuckled as they heard it.

Oh yes, there’s much to be grateful for this Thanksgiving season.

As usual with the Biden administration, no guidance was issued prior to the event. No statements were made. No one in the press corps knew much about the event until Biden spoke. Sure, you could say the Biden administration is on cruise control and with limited exceptions you’d be right. But at least the press wasn’t confronted with dyspeptic comments about it being like an “episode of the West Wing” – as Sarah Huckabee Sanders gleefully pronounced when she was at the White House for a Trump Thanksgiving.

No. Reality and not fiction mostly resides at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. today. Biden is still dealing with war and peace in the Middle East and political prisoners in China. Of course, not much was said about those either from the White House. Rumor was that the Biden communication team, woefully lacking in the “communication” aspect of their job planned on issuing a statement on background about the turkeys that would be embargoed until the next morning – but that may be too much of an inside joke for many to follow.

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Meanwhile, if you’re Donald Trump, you have a lot to be thankful for. Trump, who wants to bypass the FBI and use Fox News to vet his incoming Cabinet appointees, recently had all federal charges against him dropped by the Department of Justice because the DOJ simply won’t investigate a sitting president. Jack Smith, the special prosecutor who dropped the charges – did so without prejudice, which means they could be brought up again at a later date, should Trump survive his term in office. No matter. Trump slipped the noose again and was as giddy as a........

© Salon


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