BLOGJune 08, 2017

Dershowitz: Get Out of the Weeds, No Obstruction of Justice With Comey

One of the great legal minds today is liberal Alan Dershowitz. Talking with Anderson Cooper on CNN following the release of James Comey's seven-page statement, Dershowitz had this to say:

Well, first of all, let's look at the big constitutional picture. The president could have told Comey, "You are commanded, directed to drop the prosecution against Flynn." The president has the right to do that. Comey acknowledges that. He says in the statement that historically, historically presidents have done that to the Justice Department.
The past few years we've had a tradition of separation, but that tradition doesn't create crime. And remember also what the president could have done. He could have said to Comey, "Stop this investigation. I am now pardoning Flynn."

"Two important points there, in what Dershowitz said. And one that's key in saying there was a tradition of separation between the Executive Branch and the Department of Justice, even though the head of the FBI and the attorney general all serve at the behest of the president. But he said, tradition does not make a crime," Mike Opelka said, filling in for Glenn on radio.

Dershowitz continued.

That's what President Bush did. In the beginning of the investigation of Caspar Weinberger, which could have led back to the White House, to the first President Bush. President Bush on the eve of the trial pardoned Caspar Weinberger, pardoned six people, and special counsel Walsh said this is outrageous. He's stopping the investigation. Nobody talked about obstruction of justice. You cannot have obstruction of justice, when the president exercises his constitutional authority to pardon, his constitutional authority to fire the director of the FBI or his constitutional authority to tell the director of the FBI who to prosecute, who not to prosecute. So let's get out of the weeds, and let's look at the big constitutional picture.

"So there it is. From one of the most respected legal minds in the country, who also happens to be a liberal. You cannot have obstruction of justice here," Opelka said.

Enjoy the complimentary clip or read the transcript for details.

MIKE: We're watching Comeyfefe 2017. Comeyfefe 2017 has the nation's attention. Or at least everybody who can avoid going to work today and sitting at home and watching Jim Comey tell us either nothing or that he'll tell the senators in private, or he's rehashing things we already knew. So gigantic waste of time for this giant nothing burger, except there was just a moment that was just captured, as Dianne Feinstein, the senator from California was talking to Jim Comey and mentioned the tapes, the tapes that Donald Trump alluded to, when he tweeted after Comey talked about his memo, when Donald Trump tweed that Jim Comey better hope -- better hope that I don't have tapes before he starts leaking things.

And this was the exchange.

VOICE: Why didn't you stop and say, "Mr. President, this is wrong. I cannot discuss this with you?"

JAMES: That's a great question. Maybe if I were stronger, I would have. I was so stunned by the conversation, that I just took it in. And the only thing I can think to say -- because I was playing in my mind -- because I could remember every word he said -- I was playing in my mind, "What should my response be?" And that's why I very carefully chose the words -- and, look, I've seen the tweet about tapes. Lordy, I hope there are tapes.

I -- I remember saying, "I agree. He's a good guy." As a way of saying, "I'm not agreeing with what you just asked me to do." Again, maybe other people would be stronger in that circumstance, but that was -- that's how I conducted myself. I hope I'll never have another opportunity. Maybe if I did it again, I'd do it better.

MIKE: And how long before we have T-shirts that say this...

JAMES: I've seen the tweet about tapes. Lordy, I hope there are tapes.

MIKE: Lordy, I hope there are tapes.

This is getting more bizarre by the moment. I can't even imagine this. And I also wonder what the hell the rest of the world is thinking. Now, one of the great legal minds in this world is a guy named Alan Dershowitz.

Alan Dershowitz is a liberal. Alan Dershowitz is not a guy that the G.O.P. would normally call in to say, hey, would you back us up on this?

And Alan Dershowitz was talking with Anderson Cooper last night on CNN. And they were discussing the seven-page statement that Comey put out, that was his opening statement today. So the whole world saw the opening statement already.

And in there, we have said there is no evidence of obstruction of justice. While the Democrats are all saying, "This is all obstruction of justice." At least the only guy who at CNN will say that is Jeffrey Toobin, and then every Democrat quotes Toobin saying, "Toobin says it. It must be obstruction." But Alan Dershowitz gave us some great clarity on this.

ANDERSON: Professor Dershowitz, you say this is not obstruction of justice by the president and that it actually strengthens his position against Director Comey. How so?

ALAN: Well, first of all, let's look at the big constitutional picture. The president could have told Comey, "You are commanded, directed to drop the prosecution against Flynn." The president has the right to do that. Comey acknowledges that. He says in the statement that historically -- historically presidents have done that to the Justice Department.

MIKE: So, first of all, let's remember this. Historically, presidents have been able to tell the Justice Department and actually have told the Justice Department, "Stop this investigation. It's within the power of the president. It's the president's right. It's part of his executive powers." Dershowitz continues.

ALAN: The past few years we've had a tradition of separation, but that tradition doesn't create crime. And remember also what the president could have done. He could have said to Comey, "Stop this investigation. I am now pardoning Flynn."

MIKE: Two important points there, in what Dershowitz said. And one that's key in saying there was a tradition of separation between the executive branch and the Department of Justice, even though the head of the FBI and the attorney general all serve at the behest of the president. But he said, tradition does not make a crime. Tradition does not make a crime. A really key point there. And he did say that the president has the right to say I'm pardoning Flynn. Therefore, there's no need for an investigation. End it here. Donald Trump didn't do that. But he had the power.

Comey -- or, Dershowitz continues.

ALAN: That's what President Bush did. In the beginning of the investigation of Caspar Weinberger, which could have led back to the White House, to the first President Bush. President Bush on the eve of the trial pardoned Caspar Weinberger, pardoned six people. And special counsel Walsh said this is outrageous. He's stopping the investigation.

Nobody talked about obstruction of justice. You cannot have obstruction of justice, when the president exercises his constitutional authority to pardon, his constitutional authority to fire the director of the FBI, or his constitutional authority to tell the director of the FBI who to prosecute, who not to prosecute. So let's get out of the weeds, and let's look at the big --

MIKE: So there it is. From one of the most respected legal minds in the country, who also happens to be a liberal. You cannot have obstruction of justice here. And what happened in no way was -- was anywhere near obstruction of justice. So how will Chuck Schumer -- how will Nancy Pelosi -- how will Maxine Waters -- how will all the hand-wringing Democrats deal with this? Well, you can bet they're going to keep hammering. They're going to keep hammering until they get something else, something else that will slow down the process.

Comey -- or, Dershowitz continues.

ALAN: That's what President Bush did. In the beginning of the investigation of Caspar Weinberger, which could have led back to the White House, to the first President Bush. President Bush on the eve of the trial pardoned Caspar Weinberger, pardoned six people. And special counsel Wash (phonetic) said this is outrageous. He's stopping the investigation.

There was also a discussion -- and I've been following, thanks to the crew here, the research crew here -- Keith has been digging up different quotes on this. Jamie Dupree, who is -- covers Congress for a couple different radio and TV outlets has been cherry-picking some of the most interesting moments from this hearing. And he said, Comey wrote memos about the Trump hearings and said, "Quote, I was honestly concerned that he would lie about the nature of our meeting." That's why he wrote it. So if he was actually nervous about it, we have to go back to the one question I would ask Comey. Why didn't you bring it up? Why did you wait till after you were fired? Why did this all happen only after you were fired?

The other statement that really -- really makes me crazy is Comey saying that the attorney general, Loretta Lynch, Bill Clinton meeting on the tarmac. That meeting that all of us realized was not about grandkids and golf. That any thinking sane person would say, no, they're not talking grandkids and golf for 45 minutes. Because even I, a golfer who obsesses about playing the game, knows that you will bore the tar out of people if you talk about golf for longer than five minutes. Even golfers get tired of it. We don't want to hear about it. We want to play. So sitting on the tarmac for 45 minutes, just when your wife Hillary happens to be under investigation. Oh, I don't know. And facing a possible breakdown in her dreams to become the president. And you've got the attorney general in front of you. Gee, do you think they were talking about grandkids and golf?

No. But Comey says the AG Lynch and Bill Clinton tarmac meeting was the reason he went public with the email investigation. Really? Was it because that meeting actually had something else going on and you couldn't let it just slide away? So you had to bring up the email investigation in order to maybe bring back some reality to the world?

This is amazing on so many levels. Very amazing.

The ONLY Trump/Epstein Files Theories That Make Sense | Glenn TV | Ep 445

Is the case closed on Jeffrey Epstein and Russiagate? Maybe not. Glenn Beck pulls the thread on the story and its far-reaching implications that could expose a web of scandals and lead to a complete implosion of trust. Glenn lays out five theories that could explain Trump’s frustration over the Epstein files and why Glenn may never talk about the Epstein case again. Plus, Glenn connects the dots between the Russiagate hoax, the Hunter Biden laptop cover-up, and the Steele dossier related to the FBI’s new “grand conspiracy” probe. It all leads to one James Bond-like villain: former CIA Director John Brennan. Then, Bryan Dean Wright, former CIA operations officer, tells Glenn why he believes his former boss Brennan belongs in prison and what must happen to prevent a full-blown trust implosion in American institutions.

RADIO

Rumors explained: Is Fed Chair Jerome Powell OUT?!

After rumors spread that President Trump would soon fire Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, Trump has said that he's "not planning" on it right now. But is it possible for Trump to fire him? Will he resign? And how is the Fed Chair even chosen in the first place? Glenn and his head researcher Jason Buttrill explain ...

Transcript

Below is a rush transcript that may contain errors

GLENN: Well, last night, I was rapidly looking the lie some of these rumors, on X.

Pretty incredible people on what's going on with Jerome Powell and the fed.

What the heck?

I was actually popping popcorn and watching this. It was so crazy.

GLENN: So it's just the rumors, that he is going to be stepping down?

JASON: Well, yeah.

Yeah. Anna Paulina Luna. Congresswoman. She was saying, it was almost imminent, that he was about to be fired. Actually fired.

There were other rumors saying, well, we're not sure about fired.

But he's considering resigning.

GLENN: Yeah. You know why.

JASON: We were like, what the heck is going on?

GLENN: So do you know why?

Do you know why he's resigning? Any guesses? I mean, you had popcorn out. I would love to hear what you have come up with.

JASON: So there was the CPI stuff coming out. The interest rates going up.

We know that the President wants interest rates to come down. I'm assuming that is what the deal is, and there's some sort of internal battle going on.

GLENN: Well, and the president can't fire the Fed chief. Okay?

So the Fed chief is the one that nominated. The federal reserve is the biggest crock of bullcrap I've ever seen in my life.

It's nothing, but the five biggest banks. Okay? And you know which ones they are. They're the ones that keep getting bigger. And everybody else is falling to the wayside.

So the Federal Reserve is the arm of those five banks.

Okay?

And they suggest, who the president can select from.

So the president can't say, I don't want any of these guys. I want this guy. Can't do it.

He has to take a look at the list that all the banks have put together. Is. Say, pick from this list, Mr. President.

Did you know that?

JASON: It's kind of how Iran chooses their next president.

GLENN: It's exactly. It's exactly that way. Except, this religion is all about the almighty dollar.

Okay. So he can't -- he can't pick on his own. But the president has a right to pick one, you know, every term. If it comes up in his term.

The president wants this guy out. And I think he's been really, really bad.

Because he's been wrong on almost -- on almost everything. But show me the -- show me the Fed, you know, the guy who the Fed was right ever.

So he can't fire him. But he wants him out. Because he wants interest rates dropped.

And, you know, the jobs are coming back. Things are coming back.

But interest rates keep coming up.

And the -- and the interest rates, if we keep our interest rates high, we have a harder time borrowing money for our debt.

And it just gets more and more expensive for everybody all along. So the president wants him to back off interest rates. But the Fed chief believes that that could cause more inflation.

Which I think he's right on that one. And I hate to say he was right on anything.

Because I don't think he was ever right.

Makes me question myself. When he's like, well, I think he might have a point on that one. But the president is like, no. He can handle it.

I want them down. I want cheap money again.

He refuses. So what has the president done?

The president can only fire him, with cause!

So what do you do when you can only fire somebody with cause, and you want them out.

You find a cause, and this one is easy.

So the Fed has been the one leading the way saying, we can't keep borrowing money.

We've got to have some fiscal sanity. Right?

This is going to kill us. We have to keep these interest rates high, because you are borrowing too much money. And maybe this is the only way to stop you.

So we got to keep it high, because you've borrowed too much money. And how many times has he testified in front of Congress? We've got to cut. We've got to cut. You can't keep spending like this.

Okay? Well, did you know that the Federal Reserve, with our tax dollars, the five biggest banks, a/k/a the Federal Reserve, is redoing their offices. To the tune of two billion dollars!

Now, I don't know what kind of wallpaper they need there.

But that seems like a pretty hefty renovation, especially when everybody is looking at cutting things. And you're lecturing me about spending money. So they get money from the government, okay? They're telling us, stop spending.
Stop borrowing.

Except, okay. What you've borrowed. I need $2 billion of that, to redo our offices in Washington, DC.

Excuse me?

Why don't you do that yourself. Okay. I think banks maybe have some money.

So they're borrowing that money, and there's $700 million over.

So it's $2 billion. $700 million over budget. And they're still not finished.

And the problem is: They're putting in water features.

They have a rooftop garden they're building.

JASON: Okay.

GLENN: I mean, it is -- it's insane. The president now knows, really? You want to play this game with me. I will sit your ass down in front of Congress, and you answer to the American people, how you're lecturing us about spending. And you're putting in a rooftop garden and a water feature in your office. No! No.

So the president is now threatening, I'll fire you for this. You want to quit, now would be the time to quit.

Otherwise, I'm dragging your butt in front of Congress.

You answer to the American people for this. And they will beg me to fire you.

That's what's happening.

JASON: I looked at that a lot.

Because I was like. There's got to be some leverage that the president had, because they can't get rid of.

But that is a pretty big cut. That sounds like a Babylon Bee article. $2 billion.

GLENN: It does. It does. $2 billion, 700 million over budget.

JASON: Oh, my gosh.

GLENN: I mean, and these are the responsible bankers. No, I don't think so.

It just shows, they don't mean what they say. They'll just keep doing it for themselves. You know, if you really believed that America was really on that financial cliff, why would you do that?

You would lead the way and say, guys, we are going to be the only responsible ones here.

We will lead by example.

No renovation. You know what, go to IKEA?

You need a new desk. Go to IKEA, and get a new desk. Well, we have to keep up our image. We're not going to have a country.

So what do you say, we go to IKEA?

Our image should be, we are going to lead the way out of this madness!

That's what a leader would do.

JASON: So, Glenn, I still don't think I get this disconnect between Trump and Powell on -- we know Trump wants to lower interest rates.

Powell is standing back and saying, basically, he doesn't want to do it.

Is he trying to undermine President Trump on this?

GLENN: President Trump thinks so. President Trump thinks so.

I think so, to some degree.

I mean, I'm worried about inflation.

Look, you know what happened. Do you know what's happening with yap?

JASON: What's happening with Japan?

GLENN: So what's happening with Japan, is Japan has always had this really amazing image of, we're solid. We're absolutely solid.

This is target to crack. The foundation.

1989.

Let me go back to 1989.

This was the crown jury trial of the global economy.

Back in 1989, you probably aren't old enough to remember.

All of a sudden, Japan owned everything in America. We were just becoming Japanese, and everything was being purchased by Japan. Kind of like it feels a little bit like China now.

JASON: They even owned Nakatomi Plaza, Glenn, that Bruce Willis had to save -- they owned everything in every '80s movie!

GLENN: Oh, yeah, they owned absolutely everything.

Okay? And the -- things were so insane in Japan. The grounds of the imperial palace, in Tokyo, on paper was worth more than the entire value of the state of California.

JASON: Wow!

GLENN: Okay?

So their land. Everything just shot up. And so they had all of -- they were flush with all this cash.

And people believed that Japan had suddenly, you know, cracked the formula for, you know, eternal prosperity.

That's the problem. Then it all started to fall apart. And the asset prices. That they had mortgaged against.

Okay?

They had borrowed. Well, the imperial palace was worth more than California.

That doesn't make any sense. You wouldn't mortgage it like that. At least long-term. I will do this real quick, and pay it off.

You would never, ever mortgage, because you know that's inane. Well, nobody ever wanted -- and it seems in governments, nobody ever wants to believe that this is just a fluke. Okay?

So the asset prices collapse. The stock markets plunged. And for three decades, they have gone into this very polite political coma.

Okay? Economic coma. And so the central bank did something radical. They were the first ones to set your interest rate at zero. They lowered the interest rate. They made money so cheap, it was nearly free. Zero percent interest. Sometimes, they would pay you to take out money.

So the -- they had negative interest rates. Can you imagine that? Now, you're not fixing the problem. You're just printing wallpaper to cover the mold. All right?

So they've done this for decades.

Now their debt is I think 260. Or 280 percent of their GDP.

I think, what is ours?

100?

80 percent.

Something crazy. 120. You never believe back.

The death threshold is usually 120, 140.

They're 260 percent of their entire economy is debt.

That's not a crack. That's a fault line.

So this week. Or was it last week? Things started to creek and grown in Japan.

And the government bonds, which are like our treasuries. Is this getting too complex.

Are you following this still?

JASON: Yeah.

GLENN: Okay. So their government bonds.

They were the safest investments on earth.

One of them. Okay?

It's us. Japan, Germany.

They started to fall.

Hard. And when bond prices fall, interest rates were the easily go up.

All right?

So they borrow all this money.

260 percent of their GDP is borrowed. Okay?

So they borrowed all of that money. And they had it at like 3 percent interest. Whatever.

2 percent interest.

And they were paying people.

2 percent.

Well, all of a sudden, the cracks started to appear. And people were like, I'm not sure this is stable at all.

And then the belief of the system started to -- to go away. So people started selling their Japanese bonds.

Once they do that, now the yields have to go up.

What happens when yields go up?

What happens when interest rates go up? For a government. You have to pay more interest on your debt!

Okay?

You add two or three points.

Just imagine, you have an adjustable rate. Okay?

This is a government having an adjustable rate. Except, they have 260 percent of everything they make, in debt!

And it's all leveraged.

And now, their adjustable goes up two, three, four points.

You're not able to afford that anymore, okay?

So massive problem.

Because what it really means is. People don't believe in Japan.

They know the con game is now over.

And investors are saying, you know, I want a whole lot more in return.

Because I just don't believe you anymore.

And it's not just Japan's problem. This is not a neighbor's house on fair.

This is -- imagine we're all living under the same roof. This is the neighbor's apartment, on fire.

We're all under the same roof. We all have the same foundation. And so when this happens to Japan, you should pay attention. And I'll show you the ripple effects in just a second.

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GLENN: Okay. So now if Japan -- that means there's a stampede out of Japan.

And people are starting to look and reprice the risk of their money.

Now they're like, wait a minute.

The most stable. You know, if you're driving a car and it is the safest car in the world and all of a sudden, they just start blowing up on the highway.

You're like, I don't think that's the most -- that's the safest car on the highway.

And if that's the safest car, what does it mean for the car I'm in?

You know what I mean? So now, this is going to push US interest rates going up.

Which makes our mortgage rates go can up. And our car loans more expensive. And the national debt. Which is already costing us $1.2 trillion a year, just in interest.

Now, they can't sell their treasuries. People are skittish on treasuries. Maybe they come to the United States, but they're not so far.

They're getting out of the Japanese interest. Or the bonds there.

Japan has to pay their bills.

What do you do when you have to pay a bill?

And you don't have any money coming in.

You don't have enough money coming in. What do you do?

You sell something. Right? You sell your car. You sell something that you have of value.

Well, what do they have? What do they hold of value? US Treasuries.

So now, we are trying to sell our bonds, for our new debt, they hold our old debt.

They're saying, hey. Anybody want to buy this debt? Because I have to sell it. Fire sale. What do you give me for it?

Okay?

Which makes that debt more attractive, because they can get a better deal there.

Which means, if we want to have new debt, we have to raise our interest rates. Which means, we pay more for interest for our mortgages and everything else.

And it floods the market with bonds, crushing the prices, skyrocketing the costs for us.
And causing even more trouble, in other countries, that have US bonds. Because they start to look and go, nobody is buying these bonds.

Well, of course not. You have two countries. The two stablest countries besides Germany.

You have the two stablest countries now selling US Treasury bonds.

Okay? Really, really bad.

Now, let me add this on.

Germany is now having to pay for their own army.

And so they said, they're going to borrow money.

To build the army.

And they're going to lower their interest rate. So they can borrow more money. All right?

And now, the German bund, which is -- you know, like our Treasury. That's now starting to fall apart.

Well, Germany has some assets, they can sell.

What do you think that asset might be that they want to sell?

US treasuries.

We have been playing an extraordinarily horrible game.

This is why I believe the president wants somebody else in charge of the Fed, because the Fed can say, we're lowering the interest rates.

Because he's got to get more money into the system. So people can spend money, can start businesses. Borrow money.

Get things moving, so we can increase the amount of taxes that we collect.

The more people money -- the more people make, the more taxes we collect.

So he's like, we've got to grow the economy. And the only way we can grow the economy is to lower the interest rates.

But at the same time, interest rates around the world because of what's happening with the bonds is going through the roof.

We are in a very -- we've never been in this position before.

THE GLENN BECK PODCAST

Why the Term "Conspiracy Theory" is CIA-Created Weapon for Control

Conspiracies are of course real and occur every single day. But yet, many in the media and elite political circles attempt to use the term "conspiracy theory" to smear and discredit those who are skeptical of conventional narratives. Where did this term come from and how should we understand it? Journalist Alex Newman joins Glenn Beck to break this down and how it impacts the world as we see it today.

Watch Glenn Beck's FULL Interview with Journalist Alex Newman HERE

Chalkboard Breakdown: How George Soros & the 'Deep State' funnel YOUR money to radical groups

Where do these massive left-wing radical groups get all their money from? Much of it is effectively a scam that occurs using your tax dollars to fund these groups that you would never support on your own. Glenn Beck heads to the chalkboard to expose the connections so you can visualize exactly how someone like George Soros manipulates the system.

Watch the FULL Episode HERE: Deep State ON NOTICE: New Tech Traces the USAID, Globalist Money Trail

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