#steven merrick

[wipbigbang]

The 2025 WIP Big Bang & WIP Reverse Bang Are Open For Sign-Ups!

Welcome to a new round! We're bringing back the OG WIP Big Bang, which is for finishing fic and getting art to go with it, and introducing the first full round of the WIP Reverse Bang, which is for finishing artwork and getting fic to go with it. All fandoms/ratings/ships are welcome, including original works!

Schedule

All times are by 11:59pm PST. Convert time zones.

Big Bang/Reverse Bang Sign-ups Begin- April 1st

Big Bang/Reverse Bang Sign-ups Close- May 21st

Big Bang/Reverse Bang Check In #1- May 22nd

Big Bang/Reverse Bang Check In #2- June 15th

Big Bang/Reverse Bang Snippets Due- July 1st

Big Bang Art Claims/Reverse Bang Fic Claims Begin- July 17th

Big Bang/Reverse Bang Check In #3- July 22nd

Big Bang/Reverse Bang Check In #4- August 6th

Big Bang/Reverse Bang Rough Drafts Due- August 15th

Big Bang/Reverse Bang Posting Claims Begin- August 23rd

Big Bang/Reverse Bang Posting Claims Ends- September 1st

Big Bang/Reverse Bang Final Drafts/Art & Fic Due- September 7th

Big Bang/Reverse Bang Posting Starts- September 8th

SIGN UP LINKS

WIP Big Bang | WIP Reverse Bang

FAQ

[materassassino]

Fandom: The Old Guard (Movie 2020) Rating: Explicit Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Joe | Yusuf Al-Kaysani/Nicky | Nicolò di Genova Characters: Joe | Yusuf Al-Kaysani, Nicky | Nicolò di Genova, Nile Freeman, Booker | Sebastien le Livre, Andy | Andromache of Scythia, Steven Merrick (The Old Guard), Keane (The Old Guard) Additional Tags: Inspired by Pygmalion and Galatea (Ancient Greek Religion & Lore), Alternate Universe, 1960s, Frottage, Masturbation, Sculpture, Joe | Yusuf Al-Kaysani is an Incurable Romantic, and also very horny, Dreams vs. Reality, Statue-Fucking, copious ponderings as is my wont, sculptor!Joe and statue!Nicky, Fairy Tale Elements Summary:

Renowned sculptor Joe al-Kaysani has been commissioned by Steven Merrick to carve a marble statue of him. The very same day the marble is delivered, Joe begins to be haunted by dreams of a handsome, mysterious man with no name. He must make a choice: be responsible, or follow his artistic, romantic heart?

---

Finally this is done! Please enjoy!

[cage-cat-yt]

Doodles. Last couple days have been shit but whatvwr.

[nickeverdeen]

The Old Guard characters: Are they top, switch or bottom?

————————————————————

Andy

Top

Andy is a top 100% Andy's confidence and control in personal moments may come from her many years of experience, strong leadership qualities, and a deep sense of control. Shaped by a long life with challenges, her assertiveness and strong presence could make her play a dominant role.

Nicky

Top

Nicky's strength comes from centuries of shared experiences, showcasing not only physical prowess but also a capacity for comfort, tenderness, and a sense of security. His inclination to take charge reveals a desire to nurture and protect, creating a relationship dynamic that highlights both physical and emotional intimacy.

Nile

Switch (with top preference)

Nile Freeman as a switch with a preference for being a top, draws on her military background, growing confidence, and adaptability. Her leadership qualities and assertiveness from military training make her a natural top. Yet, her openness to new experiences and willingness to learn could lead to switch dynamics, allowing for a flexible exchange of dominant and submissive roles based on her relationships. This portrayal highlights Nile's versatility and strength, both emotionally and physically, during sex.

Joe

Switch (bottom preference)

During sex, Joe's depiction as a switch reflects the complex nature of his character. Rooted in his adaptability, poetic sensibility, and deep emotional connection with his boyfriend (you), Joe seamlessly shifts between dominant and submissive roles.

Booker

Top

During sex, Booker being in control might come from his long life, resilience, and a wish to take charge. Shaped by his choices and wisdom, he takes on a strong role, bringing stability and strength to his relationships.

Merrick

Top

Steven Merrick, depicted as a dominant top, draws on his power, control, and manipulation tendencies. His authoritative demeanor, coupled with a desire for dominance in many areas of his life, might extend into intimate moments. This portrayal emphasizes his need for control and exploitation even in personal relationships.

[leeknees]

promoting my spotify playlists here for those who are interested 😌

( links below ! )

links !!

[thecoffinsys]

Adding on to the pile, we have:

- Sarah Reed as Amethyst. She's finished now let's go!

- Jay Merrick as Nephrite. Hed totally be abandoned on Earth after the rebellion- just saying. And hes corrupted. The only way he stays together is via Fusion with Skully. Boom.

Expect Brian in the near future....

[joegeniusblog]

FOOD: Sweet n Low and other "artificial" sweeteners

Sweet!

My current employer has dropped Sweet n Low from its roster of artificial sweetness. To be sure Sweet n Low isn’t exactly “Sweet n Low” as generic Sweet Time offerings are employed in an effort to stem ever rising COGS. When a guest orders tea, and my employer sells precious little coffee, 4 packets of sugar, 4 packs of Sweet n Low, 4 packets of Equal, 4 packs of Splenda and 4 packs of Stevia…

[genderkoolaid]

President Joe Biden is commuting the sentences of roughly 1,500 people who were released from prison and placed on home confinement during the coronavirus pandemic and is pardoning 39 Americans convicted of nonviolent crimes. It's the largest single-day act of clemency in modern history. The commutations announced Thursday are for people who have served out home confinement sentences for at least one year after they were released. Prisons were uniquely bad for spreading the virus and some inmates were released in part to stop the spread. At one point, 1 in 5 prisoners had COVID-19, according to a tally kept by The Associated Press. [...] The clemency follows a broad pardon for his son Hunter, who was prosecuted for gun and tax crimes. Biden is under pressure from advocacy groups to pardon broad swaths of people, including those on federal death row, before the Trump administration takes over in January. He’s also weighing whether to issue preemptive pardons to those who investigated Trump’s effort to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election and are facing possible retribution when he takes office. Those pardoned Thursday had been convicted of nonviolent crimes such as drug offenses and turned their lives around, White House lawyers said. They include a woman who led emergency response teams during natural disasters; a church deacon who has worked as an addiction counselor and youth counselor; a doctoral student in molecular biosciences; and a decorated military veteran. [...] Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass., and 34 other lawmakers are urging the president to pardon environmental and human rights lawyer Steven Donziger, who was imprisoned or under house arrest for three years because of a contempt of court charge related to his work representing Indigenous farmers in a lawsuit against Chevron. Others are advocating for Biden to commute the sentences of federal death row prisoners. His attorney general, Merrick Garland, paused federal executions. Biden had said on the campaign trail in 2020 that he wanted to end the death penalty but he never did, and now, with Trump coming back into office, it’s likely executions will resume. During his first term, Trump presided over an unprecedented number of federal executions, carried out during the height of the pandemic.

[safaiagem]

In honor of The Old Guard 2 finally has a release date, here is my contribution to this fandom. I've had at least two other fics in my head for a while, but I keep putting off writing them.

Title: Needs of the Many Word Count: 81,026 Rating: M Characters/Pairings: Joe | Yusuf Al-Kaysani/Nicky | Nicolò di Genova, Andy | Andromache of Scythia/Quynh | Noriko, Joe | Yusuf Al-Kaysani, Nicky | Nicolò di Genova, Andy | Andromache of Scythia, Nile Freeman, Booker | Sebastien le Livre, Original Characters, Quynh | Noriko, Keane, Steven Merrick, Dr. Meta Kozak, James Copley Warnings: Hurt/Comfort, Violence, not historically accurate, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Mutual Pining, Explicit Sexual Content, Explicit Language, NaNoWriMo, NaNoWriMo 2020, Torture, Angst, Blood and Injury, Blood and Gore, no beta we die like the old guard, Eventual Happy Ending, Temporary Character Death, Internalized period-typical homophobia, Canonical Character Death, Minor Character Death Summary: “A fine justification. I’ve heard it so many times before” were the words Nicky spoke, and they were words he had heard so many times. From Kings claiming that the world would be better if they ruled to murders justifying the mass slaughter of people, evil will use the concept of the greater good as justification for their own horrific actions. While The Old Guard had seen that play out throughout history, this wasn't even the first time someone justified hurting them in the name of the greater good. [5 times someone used changing the world or the greater good as a justification to hurt The Old Guard]

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Steven Beschloss at America, America:

In the last few days, I have received a number of messages from readers who told me they are disengaging. “I am retiring from politics,” one said. “I’m avoiding the news,” said another. And this: “I’m too old for another Trump term and do not want to even see anything political for a long time. Steven, I’ve enjoyed your content, but in order to live to 78 [I’m] going cold turkey on politics.”

I get it. Trump’s emphatic win and Harris’ loss is heartbreaking, especially after all the effort so many of us have made to achieve a different outcome. This defeat is made harder by the awareness of the dark and disturbing days to come with Donald Trump back in the White House. There are many high-profile critics who are wondering about their safety now in a world where Trump fanatics like Steve Bannon echo his leader’s fervor for retribution by promising “rough justice.” It would be a mistake to assume that Trump wasn’t serious with all his violent, vengeance-inciting verbiage. Anyone who assumes the next Attorney General will act with the reluctance and politeness of Merrick Garland toward the ex-president—resulting in his not being held account for inciting a deadly insurrection on Jan. 6—is sorely underestimating Donald Trump’s endless capacity for cruelty, attraction to carnage and hunger to punish anyone who crosses him. But it would be a misfortune if many of us meet the coming months only with fear and reluctance, disengaging from the necessary opposition to Trump’s authoritarian enterprise. That’s what Trump hopes to achieve with his angry, aggressive intimidation.

It’s appalling to see how the billionaires have quickly fallen in line. This arrived yesterday from Washington Post and Amazon owner Jeff Bezos, who spinelessly deep-sixed his newspaper’s endorsement of Kamala Harris: “Big congratulations to our 45th and now 47th President on an extraordinary political comeback and decisive victory,” he posted on what was Twitter. “No nation has bigger opportunities. Wishing Donald Trump all success in leading and uniting the America we all love.” In a normal world, of course, that would read like a warm and magnanimous gesture, not a kowtowing plea from a self-interested businessman who fears the consequences of crossing Trump. And he was not alone.

Meta/Facebook owner Mark Zuckerburg, who’s been threatened with prison by Trump, posted this on his social media site, Threads: “Congratulations to President Trump on a decisive victory. We have great opportunities ahead of us as a country. Looking forward to working with you and your administration.” So again: I get it if you’re feeling utterly discouraged and doubtful if you should stay involved. If the billionaires are rolling over, why should anyone take any risks? That’s understandable, especially in the wake of this awful defeat, and a reason why some of us will choose to disconnect. But I urge you to take to heart the closing words of President Joe Biden yesterday in graciously accepting the election’s outcome: “Setbacks are unavoidable, but giving up is unforgivable…We are going to be OK, but we need to stay engaged.” I also urge you to listen to every word of Kamala Harris’ concession speech Wednesday from Howard University (you can watch it here). I was particularly interested in her guidance as we look forward.

“While I concede this election,” she said, “I do not concede the fight that fueled this campaign—the fight for freedom, for opportunity, for fairness and the dignity of all people. A fight for the ideals at the heart of our nation, the ideals that reflect America at our best. That is a fight I will never give up.” She also talked about not giving up the fight for reproductive freedom, for protecting our schools and streets from gun violence, and for democracy, the rule of law and equal justice. “And we will continue to wage this fight in the voting booth, in the courts and in the public square. And we will also wage it in quieter ways: in how we live our lives by treating one another with kindness and respect, by looking in the face of a stranger and seeing a neighbor, by always using our strength to lift people up, to fight for the dignity that all people deserve.” We will need to hear more thoughts like this as Trump and his enablers drag us through their world of hostility and degradation. The vice president made a particular plea to young people, including students in the audience from Howard, a historically Black university: “To the young people who are watching, it is OK to feel sad and disappointed. But please know it's going to be OK…Don’t ever give up. Don’t ever stop trying to make the world a better place…the fight for our country is always worth it.”

[...] I will not give up the effort to pursue a better, more just, more equal, more democratic, more decent and kind America. It will take plenty of energy and effort to keep clear about what is true and what is false, what is right and wrong, what is normal and what is insane—and to inform myself and you about what’s happening and what we might do about it.

The temptation is there to disengage., but it’s the definitive time to stay in the fight.

[darkpeacemusic]

ℂ𝕣𝕖𝕖𝕡𝕪𝕡𝕒𝕤𝕥𝕒 ℍ𝕖𝕒𝕕𝕔𝕒𝕟𝕠𝕟𝕤: 𝔽𝕦𝕝𝕝 𝕟𝕒𝕞𝕖𝕤

Jeff the Killer - Jeffrey "Jeff" Alan Dan Woods

Homicidal Liu - Liuis "Liu" Victoria Woods

Sully - Sullivan "Sully" Akira Woods

Randy - Randall "Randy" Allen Warren

Keith - Keith Harvey Davis-Green

Troy - Troy John Green

Ben Drowned - Benjamin "Ben" Scott Lawman

Jane - Jane Todd Richardson-Vaughn

Mary - Mary Annabelle Vaughn

Ticci Toby - Tobias "Toby" Erin Rogers

Masky - Timothy "Tim" Buck Wright

Hoodie - Brian Hunter Thomas

Skully - Jay Gabriel Merrick

Kate the Chaser - Kate Eleanor Milens-Hayes

Charlie - Charles Matheson Jr.

Laughing Jack - Laughing Jack in a Box

Eyeless Jack - Jackson "Jack" Nicky Nyras

Slenderman - Simon (middle and last name unknown) (Human name prior to his experimentation/death)

Splendorman - Jim (Human name prior to his experimentation/death)

Trenderman - Beau (Human name prior to his experimentation/death)

Tenderman - Cedric (Human name prior to his experimentation/death)

Sally - Sally Maryam Dawn (formerly Williams)

Dr Smiley - Azerael Jesse Smiley

Nurse Ann - Annie "Ann" Lusen Mia

Nina - Nina Selene Hopkins

Candy Pop - Unknown

Candy Cane - Unknown

April Fools - Unknown

Jason the Toymaker - Jason Caleb Meyer

The Puppeteer - Jonathan Cole Blake

Clockwork - Natalie Priscilla Ouellette

Rouge - Heather Bridget Marshall

Wilson - Wilson Liam Marshall (neé Jones)

Zalgo - Z͠a̛'l͘ga̶t҉ot̡h

Lazari - Lazari Natalie Swann

Stripes - Eloise Sarah Bellarose (name prior to her death)

Nathan - Nathan Maxwell Lux

Bloody Painter - Helen Delilah Otis

Kagekao - Unknown

Laughing Jill - Laughing Jill in a Box

Sadie - Sadie Marie Bennett

Hobo Heart - Unknown

Cat Hunter - Rodrigo Milo Ortiz

Chris the Revenant - Christine "Chris" Wendy Meyers

X-Virus - Cody Larkin Drake

Dollmaker - Vaughn "Vine" Pavel Voiikov

Frankie the Undead - Frankie Hades Asher (his real name prior to his death)

Judge Angels - Dina Angela Clark

Lifeless Lucy - Lucy Ava Jones

Lost Silver - Ethan Kin Fuji (his real name before his death)

Glitchy Red - Red (his real name remains a mystery)

Strangled Red - Steven Garrett Stoughton

Dr. Locklear - Evander Agnar Locklear

Lulu - Lucille "Lulu" Tiffany Greatfeil

Killing Kate - Katherine "Kate" Evelyn Knight

Will Grossman - William "Will" Gordon Grossman

Lulling Lauren - Lauren Robyn Ross (neé Evans)

CR - Carl Morton Ross

Emra - Emra Amelia Blake (neé Albridge)

Zero - Alice Marie Jackson

Slendrina - Charlotte (first name prior to death/experimentation)

Lily - Lily May Kennett

Nightmare Ally - Adeline "Ally" Ashley Abendroth

Zachary the Proxy - Zachary Julius Gibson

Oliver - Oliver Gorgon Henderson

Alex Kralie - Alexander "Alex" Joseph Kralie

Amy - Amy Callie Walters

Jessica - Jessica Ellie Locke

Seth - Seth Apollo Reid-Wilson (neé Wilson)

Sarah - Sarah Cassie Reid-Wilson (neé Ried)

Ellie - Eleanor "Ellie" Mae Andersen

Victor - Victor Hugo Becker

The Sight - Unknown

Clowny - Unknown

Vince Wilson - Vincent "Vince" Ares Wilson

Third Base - Richard "Doby" Vincent Doggers

Vailly - Vailly Suki Evans

Stan Fredrick - Evan Cameron Frederick

KindVonDerRitter - Marcus James McComber

Michael Andersen - Michael Stuart Andersen

Screaming Dawn (oc) - Dawn Evelyn Woods

Queen Blackheart (oc) - Elizabeth Cindy Phillips (name prior to her death)

Smiles (oc) - Morgan Ari Rivers (name prior to their death)

The Tod Killer (oc) - Corey Kiran Kelly

Night Stalker (oc) - Casey Lara Hall

[cage-cat-yt]

Doodle dumps woahhhhhhhh

Jam is my comfort ship :3

[trickricksblog08]

Former Attorney General Edwin Meese and law professors Steven Calabresi and Gary Lawson, in a 25-page filing to the Supreme Court, say there’s no constitutional or statutory authority for Attorney General Merrick Garland‘s appointment of Mr. Smith to conduct the high-level criminal investigation of Mr. Trump because he was a private citizen and not confirmed by the U.S. Senate.

“What federal statutes and the Constitution do not allow, however, is for the Attorney General to appoint a private citizen, who has never been confirmed by the Senate, as a substitute United States Attorney under the title ‘Special Counsel.’ That is what happened on November 18, 2022. That appointment was unlawful, as are all the legal actions that have flowed from it,” they wrote.

https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2024/jan/12/legal-scholars-say-special-counsel-jack-smith-wasn/

[dertaglichedan]

The Hillary Clinton portion of the Mar-a-Lago raid has just come into focus…

It was the shot heard ’round the world when then-candidate Donald Trump urged the Russians to release those missing emails that Clinton “bleached” off her computer. At the time, it felt like a funny joke, but looking back, you can’t help but wonder if Trump knew something the rest of us didn’t—that Russia actually had all of Hillary’s emails and knew every single one of her dirty tricks. People are buzzing about this again after Hillary’s name resurfaced, thanks to investigative reporter Julie Kelly. She’s been digging into and sharing many newly unredacted files related to Jack Smith’s “classified documents” sham case. These files paint a much clearer picture of what happened, how President Trump was intricately set up by Biden’s weaponized DOJ, and how his employees were given the unjust entrapment treatment that our disgraced FBI has become infamous for.

Julie Kelly:

Merrick Garland/Lisa Monaco DOJ and Chris Wray/Steven D’Antuono FBI sent agents to interview (interrogate) one of Trump’s closest personal aides without Trump’s knowledge. The ruse–once again–was national security interests. (Just like Mike Flynn ambush by FBI in 2017). Nauta, like Flynn, wanted to help the FBI get information. But Nauta walked into a perjury trap by agents who talk like Romy and Michelle.

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

David Pepper

* * * *

PARDON THEM ALL!!!

TCinLA

Dec 06, 2024

Yesterday, the news was that President Biden’s senior aides have been “conducting a vigorous internal debate” as to whether Biden should issue preemptive pardons to current and former public officials who could become targets for Donald Trump’s desire for vengeance against those he believes thwarted him, following his return to the White House.

Today, it became known that it is not just “senior aides” who are engaged in this discussion. President Biden is personally and directly involved in the process.

This is a serious prospect.

The Biden Administration is concerned that these current and former officials ould find themselves facing inquiries and even indictments. The sense of alarm has only accelerated since Trump announced the appointment of Kash Patel to lead the FBI, since Patel has publicly vowed to pursue Trump’s critics and even went so far as to publish an Enemies List.

Weaponizing the FBI against domestic political opponents doesn’t have to end with jail time. The FBI can do immense damage to people’s lives even if they are never accused of a crime; There are plenty of examples of what can happn when the Bureau has mistakenly zeroed in on the wrong suspects in high-profile cases. In the Atlanta Olympics bombing, the spotlight ruined the life of the security guard Richard Jewell; there is also the post-9/11 anthrax investigation that turned biodefense researcher Dr. Steven Hatfill’s life upside down before the bureau realized it had the wrong man.

Being the target of an FBI investigation, even if it leads nowhere, can cost the target hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal bills, upend families, end careers and lead to federal charges, like lying to a federal agent, that are all but unrelated to the original investigation.

As to who might be on the pardon list, Patel’s Enemies List is a good place to start.

Patel laid out his plans in a 2023 book titled Government Gangsters: The Deep State, the Truth, and the Battle for our Democracy. In this work, he breathlessly described the Deep State as a “coordinated, ideologically rigid force independent from the people that manipulates the levers of politics and justice for its own gain and self-preservation.” It is run “by a significant number of high-level cultural leaders and officials who, acting through networks of networks, disregard objectivity, weaponize the law, spread disinformation, spurn fairness, or even violate their oaths of office for political and personal gain, all at the expense of equal justice and American national security.” He added, “They are thugs in suits, nothing more than government gangsters.” And he inveighed that this is “a cabal of unelected tyrants.”

In his book, Patel called for mounting “investigations” to “take on the Deep State.” In an appendix, Patel presented a list of 60 supposed members of the Deep State. He noted this roster did not include “other corrupt actors,” such as California Democrats Reps. Adam Schiff and Eric Swalwell, “the entire fake news mafia press corps,” and former GOP House Speaker Paul Ryan - when Patel worked for the GOP-controlled House intelligence committee, he had run-ins with Ryan over Patel leaking information to a Fox News reporter; this must mean that Ryan was a Deep State operative.

Patel’s list names what would be for a MAGA activist the obvious purported cabalists: President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, Attorney General Merrick Garland, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, national security adviser Jake Sullivan, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, former CIA chief John Brennan, former chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley, and former or current FBI directors Chris Wray, Robert Mueller, and James Comey. This also includes Bill Barr, John Bolton, Pat Cipollone, Mark Esper, Sarah Isgur Flores (head of communications for Tttorney general, Jeff Sessions), Alyssa Farah Griffin, and Stephanie Grisham. Oher Republicans include: Robert Hur, the US attorney who investigated Biden’s handling of classified documents; Cassidy Hutchinson, who worked for Mark Meadows, the final White House chief of staff during the first Trump presidency; Charles Kupperman, Ryan McCarthy,Pat Philbin, Rod Rosenstein, (deputy attorney general for Trump who set up the Mueller invetigatio, and Miles Taylor, a Department of Homeland Security official who first announcedthein-house “resistance” to Trump.

White House officials are carefully weighing the extraordinary step of handing out blanket pardons to those who’ve committed no crimes, both because it could suggest impropriety, only fueling Trump’s criticisms, and because those offered preemptive pardons may reject them.

Those under consideration include Jan. 6 Committee members Sen.-elect Adam Schiff and former GOP Rep. Liz Cheney. Also mentioned is Dr. Anthony Fauci.

That the conversations are taking place at all reflects growing anxieties among high-level Democrats about just how far Trump’s reprisals could go once he returns to power. At issue is whether to take Trump seriously and literally when it comes to his prospective revenge tour.

End-of-administration pardons are always politically fraught. But President George H.W. Bush’s intervention to spare former Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger and Bill Clinton’s pardon of financier and donor Marc Rich seem quaint compared with what Biden officials are grappling with as Trump returns to the presidency with lieutenants plotting tribunals against adversaries.

The White House is facing contradictory pressures from Capitol Hill. Some longtime Democratic lawmakers have talked favorably about the precedent of former President Gerald Ford’s preemptive pardon of Richard Nixon, issued before any charges were filed against him.

“If it’s clear by January 19 that [revenge] is his intention, then I would recommend to President Biden that he provide those preemptive pardons to people, because that’s really what our country is going to need next year,” Sen. Ed Markey said on WGBH last week.

Rep. Brendan Boyle (D-Penn.), a close Biden ally who hosted the president in his district shortly before the election, issued a plea Wednesday for Biden to offer blanket pardons. “This is no hypothetical threat. The time for cautious restraint is over. We must act with urgency to push back against these threats and prevent Trump from abusing his power.”

Other lawmakers, I’m told, have been just as emphatic in private with Biden’s aides in calling for preemptive pardons.

However, some congressional Democrats, including those who may be in Trump’s political crosshairs, are uneasy about the idea of being granted a pardon they’re not seeking.

“I would urge the president not to do that,” Schiff said. “I think it would seem defensive and unnecessary.”

Cheney and Fauci did not respond to requests for comment.

Some senior Democrats I spoke with, however, wonder how many of those facing retribution are adopting a version of the vote-no-hope-yes mantra that often surrounds difficult legislative votes. Which is to say: Some may publicly oppose preemptive pardons, for reasons of innocence or precedence, while privately hoping the president offers legal protection.

What has some Biden aides particularly concerned is that even the threat of retaliation could prove costly to individuals because they’d be forced to hire high-priced lawyers to defend themselves in any potential investigation.

Especially for those officials without significant means, the specter of six-figure legal bills in the coming years is unnerving. Some Biden appointees, I’m told by people facing scrutiny, are already considering taking the best-paying jobs next year in part to ensure they have the resources to defend themselves against any investigations.

Adding to Biden’s challenge in the final weeks of his presidency is the pressure he’s also feeling from Democrats who want him to offer the same generous clemency to those less privileged that he handed his son.

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) invoked Hunter Biden’s pardon this week in calling on the president to, on a case-by-case basis, spare “the working-class Americans in the federal prison system whose lives have been ruined by unjustly aggressive prosecutions for nonviolent offenses.”

John Dean posted yesterday at BlueSky: “Biden should keep going with his pardons: Trump, Jack Smith & team, Mueller & team, and a blanket pardon for all on Trump’s enemies list for any and all political statements before December 25, 2024! Merry Christmas:-). Take the wind out of retribution/revenge!”

PARDON THEM ALL!!! Because Fuck You, Trump and the rest of your TrumpScum.

[TCinLa]