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227
As Jack Smith Testifies, a Senator’s Accusation of Perjury Falters (www.nytimes.com)
submitted 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago) by silence7@slrpnk.net to c/politics@lemmy.world
26 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

When the former special counsel insisted he had not gone to see the Atlanta **Hawks **play in that time period, Mr. Schmitt declared, “I think you’ve already perjured yourself,” and called Mr. Smith a “dirtbag.”

The accusation appeared to unravel almost immediately.

Invited to respond by Senator Amy Klobuchar, a Minnesota Democrat, Mr. Smith said he had, in fact, attended a basketball game on that day, but it was to see the Iowa **Hawkeyes **at the University of Maryland. That night, Caitlin Clark, the star point guard who now plays in the W.N.B.A., scored 38 points and had 12 assists.

The guys sitting behind Senator Schmitt are two lawyers who work for him. He also likely had his staff vet the claims. Senator Schmitt was really mad at being called out on his lies.

The video is really something

Archived copy of the article — archive.is isn't exactly a good actor, but they don't require registration.

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[–] ThePowerOfGeek@lemmy.world 79 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago) (3 children)

What a fucking jackass Schmitt is. He embarrassed himself so completely, and he didn't know how to wriggle out of that corner of humiliation. After he chided Klobuchar for talking during his time, he had no qualms in shouting over her repeatedly during her time. Why? Because a) his jimmies were thoroughly rustled; and b) he is a selfish hypocritical hack.

Smith handled it very well.

Also, I love Klobuchar's clarification about the mascot of the University of Minnesota at the end "to avoid further confusion".

I hope that every future witness who faces him starts off by clarifying they didn't attend that Hawks game. That misstep should be a perpetual point of ridicule for him. Not because he made a mistake, but because of how fucking horribly he handled the aftermath.

[–] pelespirit@sh.itjust.works 13 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Was it a mistake? He didn't keep it up because he didn't want Smith to be able to rebuttal.

[–] ThePowerOfGeek@lemmy.world 16 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago)

I hope for his sake it was a mistake. Because if he did that on purpose - showing a bullshit claim on a giant poster board for about 5 seconds in the hope that someone like Smith would fall for it - then that's even more embarrassing for him.

Edit: typos.

[–] Hideakikarate@sh.itjust.works 12 points 4 days ago

Schmitt got egg on his face, but there is a very small discrepancy in your statement. In the video, Klobuchar hadn't started her time. In the 7 minute video, she did some clarifying, Schmitt whined like a baby, and THEN her time started. At least in the video posted in the thread, her time wasn't interrupted as it hadn't officially started yet. Small nitpick, but I felt the need to correct it for accuracy.

[–] LilB0kChoy@reddthat.com 6 points 4 days ago

There’s a very good chance that she’ll be Governor Amy Klobuchar by this time next year.

[–] CharlesDarwin@lemmy.world 58 points 4 days ago (1 children)

What a fucking world. The people actually trying to do their job when it comes to investigating actual criminal activity are now the ones being accused of that being a crime.

So many conservatives need to go to prison. For long sentences.

[–] Pat_Riot@lemmy.today -3 points 4 days ago (2 children)

Why waste resources on feeding and housing them. Put them through a chipper shredder and fertilize somewhere with them.

[–] foggy@lemmy.world 15 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago) (2 children)

Dehumanizing humans is what they, the bad guys, the losers, do.

They deserve as dignified a life as one can live within the confines of life sentence in a prison cell, in a civil society.

You can hate what they've done more than anyone, but you can't disagree, lest you be one of them. The bad guys. The losers.

Humanity prevails within humans always. There's a reason for it that the bad guys don't seem to get. It's the same reason you're being downvoted.

[–] DevDave@piefed.social 2 points 2 days ago (1 children)

I believe the "give peace a chance" is naive at best. The true irony is that the intellectuals and academics, who are usually advocates for non-violence, are historically the first to go.

Get it over quickly, publicly, and don't leave anyone alive as Antony demonstrated with Julius Caesar's assassination.

An example from our relatives - https://www.raffriff.com/blog/2022/12/alpha-male-baboons/

The American revolution actually included a lot of what would be considered "crimes against humanity" with the more "benign" being tar and feathering targets.

A recent example is an attributed source of annual "Pride fest" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stonewall_riots

Last thing is a double point. As a child after an altercation with three bullies vs me where I fractured the leader's skull, broke the nose of another, and injured the spleen of the third I was both never bullied again and actually had a really good life at school. Further, given that experience versus non-evidence based arguments to the contrary, I will never believe "talking things out" can work.

Humans are animals, violent ones at that, and submission doesn't have a good history of with a good outcome.

[–] MajorasTerribleFate@lemmy.zip 2 points 1 day ago

I would say that imprisoning someone for life, regardless of the level of comfort, is no light sentence. Your old life is gone. The people you cared about, most will essentially or actually disappear from your life.

Killing is not the only meaningful way to punish someone, and even fracturing a skull is not necessarily a greater harm to someone than imprisoning then for life.

[–] TheFrirish@tarte.nuage-libre.fr 4 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Big "the pen is mightier than the sword" energy here...

[–] FenrirIII@lemmy.world 1 points 2 days ago

You can kill a man many ways with a good pen. It's easier to hide, can quickly be disposed of, and harder to trace. The pen is very utilitarian.

[–] ilinamorato@lemmy.world 11 points 4 days ago

Because that's a conservative response to the problem. I'm not about to further normalize their death cult any more than they already have. They also have human dignity, they've just forfeited their right to remain free among the general population.

Also, executions cost more than life imprisonment. This is known. Your argument is just as spurious as when the fash makes it.

[–] danc4498@lemmy.world 24 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago) (1 children)

He confused "Hawkeyes" and "Hawks" and Amy Klobuchar fucking nailed him on it. So hilarious, but sad when you consider this guy is responsible for laws in our country as well

If he put half this effort into holding Donald Trump accountable, our country might be in a much better place.

[–] CharlesDarwin@lemmy.world 9 points 4 days ago

If he put half this effort into holding Donald Trump accountable

Not an option; he's probably a Right Wing Authoritarian. All efforts will be spent on running cover for Dear Leader. Independent thought and a moral compass is anathema.

[–] mkwt@lemmy.world 23 points 4 days ago (2 children)

For a long time I was really confused about what is so bad about the Atlanta Hawks that you might need an alibi to go see them.

It turns out that the second part of this wacko's conspiracy theory is that Jack Smith used the Atlanta Hawks (which, again, Smith never actually went to) as a cover to secretly meet with Georgia prosecutor Fani Willis.

Absolutely no evidence as to this "meeting" with Willis was presented whatsoever.

[–] CharlesDarwin@lemmy.world 13 points 4 days ago

Yeah, it was already quite stupid from the very beginning, and then it got even stupider.

I don't know anything about the Schmitt guy, but my guess is that his "reasoning" (feels) consisted of this sequence:

  1. He adores the cult leader donnie like all Right Wing Authoritarians (RWAs) do.
  2. He sees someone looking into donnie's crimes.
  3. He perceives that as someone "attacking" the cult leader.
  4. He feels that he must mount a counteroffensive.
  5. All thought is overridden by his absolute blind rage. Any and all "evidence" is swept up to make some bullshit narrative to defend Dear Leader, because RWAs need to circle the wagons. Probably didn't even bother to do the least amount of stupid low-effort work, not even running it by some shitty "AI".
[–] SatansMaggotyCumFart@piefed.social 8 points 3 days ago

Maybe someone should look into what’s happening at the games Senator Schmitt attends.

[–] BassTurd@lemmy.world 16 points 4 days ago

Other than being a complete dumbass with is unjust accusation, Schmitt quoted the chief of Stalin's secret police to reinforce his argument. It's not surprising that he would choose such a terrible source for a quote, but holy shit, there are so many options out there not from a deplorable person that could have been the same message. This guy fucking suuuuuucks.

[–] resipsaloquitur@lemmy.cafe 7 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Priceless.

I think we know who the dirtbag is, and who has weaponized the law.

[–] IzzyScissor@lemmy.world 3 points 3 days ago

I've never seen a better example of "political theater". Schmitt didn't care about the facts, he just needed to fluster Smith enough to be able to say "Perjury!" on Fox News and point to something that, if you squint real hard, might be able to pass as something leading to an implication of potential collusion.

Meanwhile, Trump is committing crimes and defying court orders in broad daylight.

It's all an act. They also know it's an act and don't care as long as they can get enough people to play along with them.

[–] reddig33@lemmy.world 9 points 4 days ago

Womp womp.

[–] xSikes@feddit.online 7 points 4 days ago

That video explains the situation way better than any text. What a shit show.

[–] CharlesDarwin@lemmy.world 7 points 4 days ago

Some of the reactions on the bluesky thread are hilarious.

Also, imagine being such a fucking asshole and complete dumbass as to say "I stand by my statement" (of accusing someone else of being the dirtbag) when your delusional narrative, which you thought was some kind of slam-dunk GOTCHA moment you were going to clip for the socials, evaporates in a puff of smoke and you are left there holding your dick.

🤣 🙃

[–] 58008@lemmy.world 2 points 3 days ago

Scum.