With help from the United States Attorney General and Republicans in Congress?
Donald J. Trump is seeking to make an American President a King….
….the House has no right to impeach Trump. It calls the proceedings “illegal,” and one of Congress’ “unconstitutional efforts to overturn the democratic process.” There is no remotely plausible constitutional theory to support this claim. The Constitution gives the House absolute right to conduct impeachment hearings in a manner determined by the House….
And….To nullify the idea that ‘no one is above the law’…
While the Trump administration has repeatedly taken unprecedented legal positions to delay and stonewall Congress, it previously recognized, however tacitly, the legitimacy of impeachment as a constitutional remedy. Even when it prevented witnesses like former White House counsel Don McGahn from testifying, it provided a fig leaf of justification—executive privilege or attorney-client privilege, for example—thereby implicitly acknowledging the oversight prerogatives of Congress and its power to issue subpoenas.
That changed on Tuesday.
Trump announced on Twitter that he directed Gordon Sondland, the ambassador to the European Union, to not appear before the House Intelligence Committee to testify pursuant to the impeachment inquiry. His only justification was that it is a “kangaroo court” that does not allow the “true facts” to be revealed to the public. That does not even pretend to be a legal justification for blocking the testimony of an important witness who reportedly called Trump before texting another State Department official, denying Trump had sought a quid pro quo with Ukraine.
The administration followed up with a letter to Speaker Nancy Pelosi signed by White House counsel Pat Cipollone, which blasted the impeachment inquiry as “illegitimate” and an “unconstitutional” effort to “overturn the democratic process.” The letter declares that the administration “cannot participate” in the impeachment inquiry as a result. Calling the constitutional process of impeachment “unconstitutional” is a brazen attempt to persuade the public that reality is not what it actually is—that up is down and black is white. Call it the “alternative facts” school of legal reasoning.
While the letter is signed by a lawyer and occasionally uses legal terms, such as “due process,” it is a political document, not a legal one. The complaints that the administration has with the impeachment inquiry are not legalreasons that would excuse a failure to comply with the inquiry. Trump is not going to court. He is not claiming privilege. He has simply declared that the usual rules don’t apply to him.
That is very different than taking advantage of legal procedure to delay by claiming privilege or filing cases in court. Using legal means to cause delay can frustrate the process, but it is not a rejection of the process. In fact, it is often key to a zealous defense that is essential to our adversarial legal system. Whenever you file your tax return, you concede that you have a legal obligation to pay taxes. Asking for an extension or claiming an unwarranted deduction is very different from refusing to file a return altogether because you believe the U.S. government is illegitimate. “Tax protesters” who do so are routinely prosecuted and sent to prison.
By declaring impeachment “illegitimate,” Trump seeks to delegitimize the only mechanism by which he can be punished for wrongful behavior while in office. Of all the unprecedented things Trump has done, this has the potential to be the most damaging.
The Justice Department has long taken the position that a sitting president cannot be indicted. The reasoning behind the Justice Department’s policy is that impeachment is the constitutional remedy for presidential wrongdoing and that impeachment is a political process, not a legal one. In a recent lawsuit he filed to block the Manhattan district attorney from examining his taxes, Trump pushed this theory to the breaking point. Trump asserted that not only is he safe from indictment, he cannot even be investigated while in office.
The assumption underlying all of those arguments is that impeachment is the remedy for presidential wrongdoing. Trump’s move on Tuesday aims to take that singular remedy off the table. If he succeeds—if impeachment is delegitimized and ignored—then Trump, and future presidents, will be truly above the law….
“We have a president who simply doesn’t believe that Congress is a coequal branch of government,” said Elliot Williams, who helped run the Justice Department’s legislative affairs office during the Obama administration. “That’s a huge departure from anything we’ve seen in our lifetimes.”…
Note…
If and when Trump’s refusal to honour ANY request from Congress comes down to decisions from the Federal courts?
Trump is SURE to lose them…
Hence the rush by Democrats to do an impeachment is wanted by Republicans on one hand?
And NOT wanted since the longer this process is strung out?
The more disinterested the public MIGHT be…
And the public IS where the Democrats political game is being aimed at to try to change the US Senate firewall Trump is counting on from fellow Republicans…
image…WashingtonPost.Com
New Open Thread is HERE.…
Trump may very well win this in the end….
But it’s gonna take a good sized chuck out of his political ass….
“The day Richard Nixon failed to answer that subpoena is the day he was subject to impeachment because he took the power from Congress over the impeachment process away from Congress, and he became the judge and jury.”
— Rep. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), on the Senate floor arguing in favor of Bill Clinton’s impeachment in 1998….
Politicalwire…
Since John McCains death we have seen the real Lindsay Graham.
A slimy little worm who always has to have a”daddy “ figure.
McCain was a moderate conservative who was respected on both sides.So?Graham imitated his daddy figure.
His new daddy is Donald Trump.So?Graham imitates him, lying, making provocative statements, lashing out at Democrats to solidify his credentials among Right Wing extremists.
And it’s worked here in S.C.
The Trump Cultists who used to refer to him as “Grahamnasty” are now his biggest supporters.
A truly disgusting POS.
I just figured Trump has pics of Lindsey that wouldn’t fly in a SC GOP primary.
Like the ones the Russians have?
Oh, Good Morning people….
The Russians have pictures of Lyndsey Graham with a couple of prostitutes?
Sanford got into trouble in SC with his affair. Graham is not married, so the state might be more forgiving to him than it was to Sanford.
Rudy story coming up shortly ….
Trump ranted againsr FOX News for their poll showing 51% support his impeachment and removal.
Now claiming it’s part of the conspiracy and a new News network is needed for “US”–by which of course he means the GOP base that still supports him. No one else in America.
Predictable.
The Trump vs Fox thing is gonna continue
Maybe somebody over there has figured out the Trump isn’t gonna last forever and they want their channel to?
Rep. Nita Lowey (D-N.Y.) on Thursday announced she will not seek reelection in 2020.
Lowey, 82, was first elected to the House in 1988 and rose to become the most senior member of the powerful House Appropriations Committee.
“After 31 years in the United States Congress, representing the people of Westchester, Rockland, Queens and the Bronx, I have decided not to seek re-election in 2020,” she said in a statement….
More…
My most vivid memory of the Congresswoman is the day she came on a House elevator with my very pregnant coworker and said, “honey, when are you due?” My coworker responded that she had a C-Section scheduled for the following week. Lowey responded, “Oh sweetie, have natural childbirth, you can hold it over them for the rest of your life!”
On the Lowey district?
Wasn’t Chelsea Clinton mentioned about that before?
Several Georgia Republicans are claiming that the Atlanta Braves 13-1 playoff loss to the St. Louis Cardinals was due to tbe team abandobing the “tomahawk chop”. Claimimg tbe team bowed to “PC pressure” and their loss was karma.
Stupid is as stupid does!
Scott, Congratulations on the Cards impressive win.
Thanks! Glad I took off work early to watch the game at home on tbe couch with a beer.
That first inning was insane. Just getting up to take a leak I missed three runs!
I don’t know if all the posters here noted this ,but a few days ago ,in one my interminable discussions with CG ,he agreed with a statement of mine whereinI said that…
Republicans are dumb as Hell.
Yes- but he still hsdn’t Agreed with my Republicans are evil comment
Likely,
“A bridge too far.”
There are so may “clowns”in today’s Republican Party .
Fawning boobs whose suck up to Trump is often beyond the pale.One of the best known is former Alabama Senator and AG Jeff Sessions.
A couple of weeks ago the scorned sycophant was at a Republican fundraiser in Bama and told the throng Of Cultists that he Still supported Trump,despite his unseemly dismissal as AG.
So has a little time softened the Cult Leaders view of Boy Jeff ?Well, Judge for yourself…in an interview with the Daily Caller,Trump ,after extolling the Justice Department under his new puppet Billy Barr .lets loose on the Boy,”…with Jeff Sessions it was just a total disaster.He was an embarrassment to the great state of Alabama.”Trump goes on to say that he just gave Sessions the job because he wanted it so bad and had endorsed him.
In the final insult to his former Boy the Leader of his party says to Jeff,”I wish he had never endorsed me.”
Hey Jeff, why not give Bill or Joe or Mark a call and,oh yeah, take that sign off your ass.You know the one,”Kick me and kick me hard!”
“Clown” is the word.
Donald Trump HAS been and ALWAYS will be about HIMSELF……
Manafort and Cohen are jail as testaments to this….
Yes….A Agree Jack…
As soon as you’re used up?
The guy tosses you aside….
Which bring me to a point….
When Donald Trump leaves the stage?
It’s gonna be a free for ALL…
All these knuckleheads kissing his ass are gonna on their own…
The books will interesting but just a rehash of the one’s out already giving a birds eye view of an inept American President who wasn’t supposed to win and proving everyday why…
‘Clown’ is too nice a word….
Here’s PWire
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) thought he was talking Turkey’s minister of defense in an August call but he was really talking to Russian pranksters, Politico reports.
In the call, Graham was primarily concerned with getting Turkey back into the F-35 program and urging the “defense minister” to refrain from using Russia’s S-400 anti-aircraft weapon system.
But Graham also expressed sympathy for Turkey’s “Kurdish problem” and described the Kurds as a “threat.” Those private comments appear to contradict his public statements this week, in which he criticized Trump’s decision to pull U.S. troops out of northern Syria….
Link…
PWire on Sessions…
One way Trump…
Sessions wan’t ‘loyal’ by letting Mueller do his job, eh?< But he has good 'loyal' AG now
…
President Trump slammed former Attorney General Jeff Sessions in a Daily Caller interview, calling him a “total disaster.”
Said Trump: “You look at what’s happening over at the Justice Department, now we have a great attorney general. Whereas before that, with Jeff Sessions, it was a disaster. Just a total disaster. He was an embarrassment to the great state of Alabama.”
He added: “And I put him there because he endorsed me, and he wanted it so badly. And I wish he’d never endorsed me.”
Link..
Morning….
There are more whistle blowers coming in from the cold…..
Apparently Rand Paul went on The View to bemoan the burden the poor 1% has to bear in taxation while all those people making less than 40K a year live the good life.
He was correctly laughed at and mocked.
What a tool.
Smiths leaving will probably merit a favorable tweet from Trump and some of the Cultists ,who claimed they were going to quit watching FoxNews ,will dutifully return.
Shepherd Smith is leaving FOX News.
Not that surprising.
Is Mike Wallace next?
He often openly pushes back against the mindless pro Trump mouthings of the opinion people.
I have a hunch he just got a high profile gig with a Presidential campaign.
Shepard leaving Fox was inevitable …
Chris Wallace next?
Post Time!…..
Morning….
There’s an interesting tidbit over at Political Wite….
While we keep talking about conviction in an Impeachment proceeding in the Senate requiring a two thirds vote of the Senate.(67 votes),the actual wording in the Constitution says a two thirds vote of the Senate “…present for the proceedings.”
In essence, if a number of Senators were absent, the number required for conviction would drop.I believe I read that this was a factor in the Andrew Johnson impeachment trial and there were efforts to have Senators ,who didn’t want to vote to convict, to absent themselves for the vote.
Probably not going to matter, but who knows?
Thank you to DSD for mentioning it. Here is my post on the Louisiana Governor race which *might* be determined today, but probably not.
http://cgpolitics.blogspot.com/2019/10/louisiana-governor-election.html
An outright victory by the Democratic incumbent John Bel Edwards would be a rebuke to Trump who held a hate rally in Louisiana last night to boost the GOP candidates.
OK to post here?
Poland votes tomorrow (Sunday).
Same question as in Louisiana today: Can the incumbents surpass 50% ?
Fright night on the Polish campaign trail
The two big parties try to scare voters away from their rivals.
By JAN CIENSKI AND ZOSIA WANAT 10/12/19, 11:30 AM CET Updated 10/12/19, 2:22 PM CET [Central European Time]
CHEŁM, Poland — There are three things that the ruling Law and Justice party wants Polish voters to know before they head off to vote on Sunday — if the party stays in power, Poles will be richer, more secure and they won’t have to give in to demands from homosexuals.
That message was hammered home on Friday night in the party’s heartland in eastern Poland. Hundreds gathered for a boisterous party rally in Chełm, a city of 65,000 just 25 kilometers from the border with Ukraine, where the leadership of Law and Justice (PiS) held their final pre-election rally.
Promoted by
The party is far ahead in opinion surveys — POLITICO Poll of Polls gives it 47 percent, while the leading opposition party, the Civic Coalition, trails at 26 percent. But Law and Justice has to win an outright majority to rule, as the opposition parties haven’t shown any interest in forming a coalition with it — making the drive for votes crucial.
That’s why both big parties spent their last hours on the campaign trail warning voters of the dire consequences of supporting their opponents….
https://www.politico.eu/article/poland-election-2019-fright-night-on-the-polish-campaign-trail/
Morning….
Morning Folks….
For those who have the day off?
Enjoy Columbus Day….
But in fact the guy was NOT the first person to ‘discover’ America….
Seems a whole lot of others did including the people that where around when he showed up….
New facts about the guy are not so good…
A video shown at a pro-Trump event depicts Donald Trump as a mass shooter killing media personalities and politicians from both parties who have spoken out against him.
This apparently is all a joke to them.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7569619/Horrific-video-meme-Donald-Trump-massacres-fake-news-media-shown-resort.html
In my opinion, this video was shown because Trump wants violence against the media and his critics
And just the other day Trump’s lackey Bill Barr was claiming that a “secularist assault” on religion was to blame for increased violence. Now you have his fellow Republican Trump supporters showing a video of Trump killing all his media and political adversaries in a church.
Whomever made this sickening video seems to have a problem with religion.
Unlikely. It was coopted from a scene in “Kingsman: Secret Service” that took place in a church populated by white supremacists.
None of the people being “killed” in the video are labeled as religious figures.
This was made by right wing supporters of Trump. They may consider themselves evangelical Christians. He has the support of 80% of them.
I haven’t seen the movie, but I doubt the person who did the video was religious. It seems very much like the opposite. He is saying the people worshiping in the “church” are all bad.
So you haven’t seen the video but your takeaway is it’s anti religious because it happens to take place in a church. Which as I told you is only because the source material takes place in a church.
Just watch the damned video and see if you can point out where religion ir religious figures are actually a target at all in this video.
I’ll wait.
I read an account of the video in the source I provided. Says all there is to know,
Religious people would not depict people being shot in a church.
This is some crazy Trump fanatic who made it. This has nothing to do with “the Evangelicals.” You can criticize them for other things.
The video was shown at a conference if “American Priority”. Sarah Huckabee Sanders was one of the speakers. Yep. Noevangelicals here.
You can criticize Trump supporters while also realizing there are differences among them.
Whomever made this video and first put it on YouTube was not putting forth a “pro-religion” message. Those who take part in, or glorify mass shootings, especially in places of worship are not religious people.
Well now this gets into a sociological discussion where you take the stance that “religious” people are intrinsically
less prone to violence. I disagree.
I think the theory that religious people commit less acts of violence could easily be proven in a sociological study.
This was specifically about mass shootings though.
Trump has plenty of horrible people supporting him who hate religion.
The Evangelicals who defend Trump on everything should keep that in mind.
Morning people…
Quick snap shot…
CNN juicing the debate
MSNBC Features Pelosi and Schiff talking House efforts on several fronts
She does NOT want this….
Politico
@politico
BREAKING: Nancy Pelosi and Democratic leaders will hold off on a full House vote authorizing an impeachment inquiry into President Trump
With apparently no irony Ronna Romney McDaniel–the chair of the RNC–denounced nepotism in politics.
OK, Mitt’s niece!
She didn’t get the job from Trump because she is Mitt’s niece. He made her change her name.
Both could be true. She rose to prominence in the Michigan GOP because she’s Mitt’s niece. Then Trump gave her the RNC job and made her change her name as some kind of power trip.
And she agreed. How pathetic. Though that pretty much sums up the whole party now that it’s under Trump’s fat little thumb.
Mitt hasn’t lived in Michigan in a long time. She did do pretty well in the state chair job there I suppose.
Her father ran for Attorney General and lost and her mother ran for U.S. Senate and lost, all in Michigan so nepotism only goes so far.
I agree Scott, so pathetic that she isn’t strong enough as a woman to stand up for the name she was born into.
But, she is a Republican.
Women sometimes do take the names of their husbands. There is one on stage tonight who did so.
But, most women don’t give up their professional/family name, one that they have used for years, because some pussygrabber told her to. Like we said, pathetic.
Actually this is a classic example of how totally Trump controls the Republican Party.
I found it amazing that Mrs. Pence recently told a Republican Woman’s group that they should not be afraid to get down on their knees for Trump.
Mother seems to have lost it.
Oh, the irony of it all and the shame.
Only way to get rid of this evil is to vote for the Democratic candidate. Anything else is a cop out.
Morning…..
RCP polling sidebar updated….
Warren was REALLY up last week ….
Was within 1% of Biden…
But?
Has fallen back several percentage points….
Could she have peaked last week?
Castro says he opposes mandatory gun confiscation because the police will shoot people when they coming knocking on your door and police are part of the gun violence problem.
(Sounds like something the Michigan Militia might have said 25 years ago)
Biden stood up for his record in taking on guns by turning his fingers into gesture guns.
Steyer looks like he is already at the Disney World Hall of Presidents.
Yang wants to legalize heroin.
I am sure he is for banning vaping though.
CG can u go over to the debate post?
And thanks for live blogging…
I thought I was on that post.
Now, I know how Biden feels.
He, he, he….
Do U?
Can anyone explain the logic behind “let’s end the war on drugs while we send pharmaceutical executives to prison?”
What would happen if Biden winds up finishing third in Iowa, behind Buttigieg?
I was surprised to see this morning how low his cash on hand amount is. Several candidates have a lot more money. It doesn’t seem like the big donors are sold on Biden and he can’t match the small contribution volume others are getting.
CG?
Is Buttigieg , Warren or Sanders gonna win SC?
Biden is AHEAD in Nevada, SC, Ca, Texas AND MASS!
Anything could be possible if the race is shaken up early.
Third in Iowa, Second in NH, and first in SC sounds like a textbook strategy for a underdog/newcomer for winning the nomination of either party in a crowded field, but certainly not for Biden.
I think if Biden comes in third in Iowa, he might very well be done for. His anti- Warren support would flock to Buttigieg or Klobuchar or… Bloomberg?
Then somebody has to have enough cash on hand to buy tv ads, etc in all the expensive states. Biden seems to really be lagging in money.
The best thing Biden has going for him is that Sanders has not dropped out yet. That is why james has stopped saying Sanders has no business running and is not even a Democrat.
“The Squad” are all set to endorse Bernie now. I think Warren might be somewhat relieved.
He, he ,he….
‘underdog/newcomer’ defense , eh?
Biden doesn’t need the money the others need , but yea….
He’ll need and get more money….
He, he
He’ll get ALL the tech and big business money out there , eh?
And you ARE absolutely right in Sanders campaign helps Biden and hurts Warren…
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump has vetoed a joint resolution of Congress that sought to terminate his declaration of a national emergency on the southern border with Mexico, the White House said on Tuesday.
Trump declared the emergency to circumvent Congress and take money already designated for other programs to pay for the U.S.-Mexico border wall he promised to build during his 2016 campaign.
Last month, the Democratic-led House passed the joint resolution by 236-174, as 11 Republicans and one independent joined Democrats to vote in favor.
The Republican-led Senate had approved the measure days earlier, by 54-41. Eleven of the Senate’s 53 Republicans joined Democrats favoring the resolution.
“The situation on our southern border remains a national emergency, and our armed forces are still needed to help confront it,” Trump said in his veto message.
Trump used the very first veto of his presidency in March to strike down a similar measure that had cleared the House and Senate. Congress was unable to muster the two-thirds majorities in both chambers to override that veto and is not expected to do so this time.
Congress has refused to meet Trump’s demands to fund a wall, although it has provided some funds for border fencing and other barriers.
Members of Congress from both parties have been particularly unhappy about Trump shifting large amounts of money from the military budget to fund the wall, including funds for housing, schools and childcare for members of the armed forces and their families.
Reporting by Eric Beech; Editing by Clarence Fernandez
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-congress-emergency/trump-vetoes-measure-to-end-his-emergency-declaration-on-border-wall-idUSKBN1WV06P
Elijah Cummings died
An outstanding Congressnan and person
RIP Elijah Cummings. A true public servant and defender of the Baltimore district he went home to every night.
Morning…..
I’ll have a post on Mulvany’s presser which was off the hook….
Fast moving news day….
A new Keating Research-OnSight Public Affairs-Martin Campaigns Poll in Colorado finds John Hickenlooper (D) leads Sen. Cory Gardner (R) in a theoretical Senate matchup next year by 11 points, 53% to 42%….
Politicalwire…
Morning….
Singh’s campaign trail strength has silenced his critics within the NDP
Not long ago, some New Democrats were talking about replacing him
Hannah Thibedeau · CBC News · Posted: Oct 17, 2019 4:00 AM ET |
Heading into the 2019 election campaign, it seemed like the New Democrats couldn’t catch a break. The party was struggling to raise funds and recruit candidates and was polling badly. Some speculated that the NDP might lose official party status.
Now, only days before the October 21 vote, the NDP is drawing larger crowds, its poll numbers are climbing — and leader Jagmeet Singh finally seems to have silenced the muttering about his leadership.
“There’s a reason why the old cliche that ‘campaigns matter’ is used and bandied about as often as it is,” said Shachi Kurl, executive director of the Angus Reid Institute polling firm.
“Campaigns do matter. Singh’s success may be in staving off the collapse or the disintegration of the NDP vote that looked like [it] might come to fruition at the beginning of this campaign.”
Kurl said Singh’s personal polling numbers, which have surged over the past two weeks, started ticking up after his well-received performances in the leaders’ debates.
‘The most authentic’
“He was the most easy leader to connect with on a personal level, [he] felt somewhat the most authentic,” she said.
Kurl also said Singh’s approach to issues of race and culture during the campaign has resonated with many Canadians, citing his response to Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau’s blackface scandal and a highly-publicized encounter between the campaigning NDP leader and a man in Quebec who urged him to get rid of his turban.
“I think all of those have spoken to … how he comes across to people as sort of a real person in the moment, as opposed to a politician,” she said.
Prominent New Democrats tell CBC News Singh’s enthusiasm for the meet-and-greet element of elections is helping him connect with voters.
“He likes campaigning and it shows,” said Karl Bélanger, former national director of the NDP and former principal secretary to ex-leader Tom Mulcair.
“He’s being himself and he’s connecting with people in a way that that observers were not expecting him to.”
It’s worth remembering that a lot of people — including some prominent New Democrats — were bracing for the worst not very long ago….
More at
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/jagmeet-singh-ndp-2019-election-1.5323151
Describing the corruption as widespread,
John Kasich ,who had expressed the view that the Ukanian quid pro quo was not an impeachable offense,now says that,if he were a Congressman ,he would vote for impeachment.
Easy for Kasich to say, eh?
Nothing to lose
Morening…..
People are beginning too openingly worry about the American President ‘s well b being…..
To those people I say welcome to the club! What took you so long?