that the discharge petition does NOT mean the "files" will be released any time soon and probably not ever.

It is a first step. Force a vote on the House floor. That's it.

They will cut out every ref to krasnov, even if it results in all blacked out pages - count on it! Our only hope would be an editing error or live testimony by victims - but that will never be allowed. The facts are krasnov was personally sued by some of the victims, why is that never mentioned? Pedophile supporting fascist lying R's is why we will not get the truth.

in the FBI.

Sorry.

It's an unignorable news item that puts Epstein back on the front page. And the R's in Congress can no longer hide behind anonymity if they want to suppress the Epstein investigation. So I think it'll provide some important momentum.

The House will pass the bill, it will go to the Senate where it will sit in a committee for very long time... if it comes out it likely faces a filibuster... if it survives that... maybe the Senate passes it, more likely they pass a similar but different bill that goes back to the House...

lather, rinse, repeat.

Some some form of the bill ever pass both the House and the Senate, Trump will need to sign it or veto it. I don't think even Vegas bookies will give you odds on him signing it.

And here is the point... by the time anything happens, it will be past the 2026 elections... maybe even past President Vance dedicating the Arc de Trump memorial in DC and the printing of the Trump dollar bill and the start of changing Lincoln to Trump at Mount Rushmore.

Just get more pressure to build, so the cover-up becomes more obvious to the public, a couple more R's defect, some more material gets leaked, and then unexpected big things start to happen as the coverup unravels.

and with the billionaires snapping up what is left of the press... well there were a number of billionaires in those files too.

More material gets leaked depends solely on having people with knowledge of what is in the files willing to talk ( and lose their careers ). That will happen whether there is a vote or not a vote. I could argue that the more the "files" are buried, the better the chance is that someone will leak. After all, if I had seen the files and I think that a process is happening ( however slowly ) to make them public, I would be LESS LIKELY to risk my career in the FBI or DOJ by leaking the data to the public.

Here's a recent DU post on the power of social media to change the playing field because of its grass-roots focus. https://www.democraticunderground.com/100220794818]

complete with "letters to the editor" rants

But there isn't a social media replacement for a press conference with journalists that actually ask hard questions...

Going on a podcast with a like minded podcaster doesn't count.

That DU post I linked to had some good suggestions about how Dem politicians could be asking those hard questions with frequent press conferences, video posts, and etc. The MSM reporters are, as you noted, more and more in the pocket of the billionaires.

occasion and replace members of Congress.

The House likely has the votes to pass the bill calling for a release of the files.

Then it's the Senate's turn to defend either inaction or a "no" vote.

If the bill does pass, it will be Trump's turn to explain why he will not sign the bill.

And all the while the Epstein files are the top story in the run-up to the midterms.

There is another special House election in a heavily RED and gerrymandered district in Tennessee on December 2nd.

If Johnson can hold off on a final vote until then, the election of that GOP Rep would negate the election of Arizona’s Grijalva! And the motion to release the files will be - DOA!!!

Massie, and Greene need to find one more Republican to sign their petition. Good effing luck.

If/when they do become public, they will certainly be so redacted. Even if trump is mentioned, what good will that do? Will he suddenly resign or be forced out. He might take some heat but that’s probably about all. Soon it will be forgotten just like everything else. He truly is teflon. So I don’t know what all the fuss about the Epstein files is all about…..IMO.

teens likely exist, but it will not matter if released or not. Will not sway any of his cultists, or the Mike Johnson types who are now irreparably chained to him.

He is very likely a business partner to Epstein. Do we just move on from sex trafficking?

the Democrats. That was a big selling point for him. Even Scarborough was elected with the voters knowing about his intern death. They just see the "manliness" as a selling feature.

I feel we keep letting ourselves be strung along by hope of an upheaval, a legal action, a revelation, a breaking scandal, a meltdown, collapse or emergence of a hero prosecutor or mob of righteous victims that will turn the narrative around and rescue us from the seemingly inevitable descent into an authoritarian hellscape.

We haven’t had a win since Watergate, and even then Nixon got pardoned. Remember Iran-Contra?

My question is, how do we actually get to that revolution?

Was going to save our ass, but it didn't.

Would their results have been worse if it had been public knowledge?

Trump will skate away unharmed.

Lying Mike will parse and stall,Take halfway measures, censor, whatever he can do to keep the Epstein files secret. He had lots of time to work with Pedo Don to come up with a plan to bury those files..

the files. Full stop.

I fully expect the Orange Regime to refuse to release the file, no matter what or who votes for it.

It’s a pipe dream.

The files will likely never be released, but the point of the discharge petition and why it terrifies republicans is that they will have to vote to protect pedophilia and upset their base, or “betray” their cult leader.

I'm guessing the Republicans will fold on healthcare subsidies if Dems agree to NOT vote on releasing the Epstein files.

impeachment trials.............I have little faith that any of that will see the light of day..............

With Bimbo Bondi and her DOJ, which controls the FBI, I can only imagine that any and all evidence has already been destroyed......
and what is left isn't incriminating in the slightest.........

They used to talk about Reagan being the TEFLON president.......just look at Trump.............

We’ve been through too many Trump scandals that go nowhere. No matter how damning the evidence is, you know MAGA don’t believe evidence so it will fizzle out like all the others.

They're not the crooks I thought they were.

It shouldn’t be too long.