Interesting discussion with Brianna Keilar and Rep. Dan Goldman yesterday about the Hunter Biden pardon and what drove it.

Notice that Goldman is not cosplaying indignation about Biden going ahead with the pardon, as some shameless Democrats did. Instead, he pointed out that the nomination of Kash Patel was a red flag.

"Kash Patel is a danger because he's unqualified and because he is out for revenge on behalf of Donald Trump," Goldman said.

"And that is not who we should have leading what should be a nonpartisan apolitical FBI that has a ten-year term for a reason so that it is not in line with the political process. So Kash Patel is a danger, separate and apart from anything having to do with HunterBiden's pardon. But it is yet another example of how Donald Trump is a danger to our rule of law and why Joe Biden felt compelled to pardon Hunter."

"The question then becomes, do you respond to the breaking of norms by either breaking other norms or by breaking your promise and which is certainly in this case, something Biden did? So what do you say to that?" Keilar asked.

(This would be a good time for Democrats to point out to media types that norms are only norms when they're observed by both sides. But we can't have everything, I guess.)

"I don't think that. And you haven't heard me say that Joe Biden is justified in pardoning Hunter Biden because Donald Trump pardoned Roger Stone, who had incriminating information about him and Paul Manafort and Charlie Kushner. And you know, the list goes on. That's not why it's okay, in my view, for Joe Biden to then to pardon him what you said about Kash Patel or we've seen perhaps what Trump wants from his law enforcement arm, having picked Matt Gaetz," Goldman said.

"Obviously that didn't work out for him. But then Pam Bondi, someone who's very loyal to him and whose independence has been questioned."

("Questioned," Brianna? She took a $25,000 political contribution to drop the Trump University case, but okay.)

"Is it then your belief that the Justice Department, I mean, the law enforcement, federal law enforcement, should Americans have faith in federal law enforcement now? Because it seems that this decision has brought that into question," she said.

(The correct answer is, "Fucking A!" But we are still in the lopsided norms portion of the program, so...)

"I think what it brings it into question is the nominees that Donald Trump has put forward, Matt Gaetz, Pam Bondi, Kash Patel, Tulsi Gabbard. These are not people who are going to implement the rule of law. They have been picked to weaponize the federal government against Donald Trump's enemies and his adversaries. And that is that is the risk to the rule of law. And that is why Joe Biden used his authority to protect his son," he said.

"I hear your argument then, it sounds like you're saying, yes, that Americans cannot have faith in federal law enforcement as it is implemented by these picks that Trump is making. I mean, is that a fair representation of your opinion on this?" she asked.

"I think it's yet to be seen and certainly I'm not going to put the cart before the horse, but based on the statements that people like Matt Gaetz, Pam Bondi, Kash Patel and Donald Trump himself have made over the last couple of years, they have been very explicit about their desire to weaponize the Department of Jj\ustice for their own political purposes," Goldman stated.