Impeachment gridlock strengthens Trump.
"It is difficult to get a man to understand something, when his salary depends on his not understanding it.”
Upton Sinclair: I, Upton Sinclair, Candidate for Governor: And How I got Licked.
Impeachment is the big story. Democrats are trying to show that they can walk and chew gum at the same time by advancing a trade deal and taking credit for it. See! We are more than just impeachment. We function!
It won't matter. Impeachment dominates the news.
Democrats say it is obvious that Trump illegally strong-armed Ukraine to get them to intervene in our election on his behalf. Moreover he openly and proudly obstructed justice by ignoring subpoenas, denying Congress the power and obligation of oversight. This is wrong and impeachable, open and shut. Democrats have their story.
Republicans say it is obvious that this is an utterly illegitimate impeachment investigation from the get-go, and it is all about Democrats trying to reverse the 2016 election outcome. Trump says everything was perfect. Republicans defend their guy.
Kevin McCarthy, Republican Minority Leader, is on CNN as I write: "Democrats would lie, just because they hate the president."
The un-engaged voter--the people who tell pollsters they are undecided about Trump and impeachment--likely have a takeaway that where there is smoke there is fire, and Trump did something, but what to make of it is unclear. Impeachment viewers cannot miss the fact that Republicans use delay tactics. The un-said message of these points of order and roll call votes is that Republicans are trying to gum up the works. That looks guilty.
Presumably that helps make the Democratic case. But the bigger takeaway is the opposite.
The fact that Trump is both guilty-looking and unbowed and unapologetic, and the sight of Democrats flummoxed by their inability to get Republicans to acknowledge evidence right before their eyes, and that they are hobbled by parliamentary process even as they argue in favor of Constitutional process, all go to demonstrate the weakness of the legislative branch, and especially Democratic weakness. Compare the divided Congress to Trump, the decisive unitary bully saying he doesn't care about process, backed by an AG and a party speaking in unison.
It creates an image of Trump, the Big Guy, surrounded by a midgets in the form of a weak Congress and a multitude of bickering aspirants for his job, people he dismisses with contempt. The Constitutional setup assumed that Republican officeholders would push back against this, and demand their Article One powers. They are not.
There is a reason for this. Those officeholders realize the public does not demand we have a working legislature so long as the economy is pretty good and not too many Americans are being killed in wars.
This is on us.
Kevin McCarthy, Republican Minority Leader, is on CNN as I write: "Democrats would lie, just because they hate the president."
The un-engaged voter--the people who tell pollsters they are undecided about Trump and impeachment--likely have a takeaway that where there is smoke there is fire, and Trump did something, but what to make of it is unclear. Impeachment viewers cannot miss the fact that Republicans use delay tactics. The un-said message of these points of order and roll call votes is that Republicans are trying to gum up the works. That looks guilty.
Presumably that helps make the Democratic case. But the bigger takeaway is the opposite.
The fact that Trump is both guilty-looking and unbowed and unapologetic, and the sight of Democrats flummoxed by their inability to get Republicans to acknowledge evidence right before their eyes, and that they are hobbled by parliamentary process even as they argue in favor of Constitutional process, all go to demonstrate the weakness of the legislative branch, and especially Democratic weakness. Compare the divided Congress to Trump, the decisive unitary bully saying he doesn't care about process, backed by an AG and a party speaking in unison.
It creates an image of Trump, the Big Guy, surrounded by a midgets in the form of a weak Congress and a multitude of bickering aspirants for his job, people he dismisses with contempt. The Constitutional setup assumed that Republican officeholders would push back against this, and demand their Article One powers. They are not.
There is a reason for this. Those officeholders realize the public does not demand we have a working legislature so long as the economy is pretty good and not too many Americans are being killed in wars.
This is on us.
7 comments:
Why aren't there impeachment articles for bribery and quid-pro-quo? For months the democrats have claimed that Trump was guilty of those charges. The charges against Trump mysteriously change by the day because they are so flimsy and fraudulent.
Democrats are setting themselves up for a huge fall in 2020. They've proven that they can't manage congress, and get anything accomplished. They know that they can't beat Trump in 2020, so they pursue a fraudulent impeachment process instead. Democrats will pay big for their foolishness in the next election.
A key take away from Turley’s testimony:
“It is certainly true that both criminal and impeachment cases can be based on circumstantial evidence, but that is less common when direct evidence is available but unsecured in the investigation.” It is the burden of proof which decides cases. A jury could legitimately decide that if the prosecution could have produced evidence (by fighting executive privilege evasion of subpoenas through the courts) but did not, prosecution loses. Every trial lawyer knows that to win, you have incorporate the other sides argument into your own to win. Rs say ‘you didn’t prove the case ‘ but Ds say ‘but you didn’t give us the evidence to prove the case.’ No overlap.
Politically, if you shoot the King, you must kill him dead. A King who takes the shot but survives just becomes a hero.
Impeachment was a compromised process no matter what the reason for it.
There is literally no action this president could do that would move Republicans to put country before party. They are boxed in. If they acknowledge any wrongdoing, any, it leads to an admission that threatens their power. We did a thought experiment to try and come up with something, anything, that would move Republicans. So far...nothing..and there was some pretty sick stuff.
This is on the billionaires, and the American system that gives them ALL the power.
You should listen to Thom Hartmann, his show is available as a podcast and also on Free Speech TV. He frequently cites a study that showed that the desires of the American populace have ZERO impact on the actions of the American Congress. The legislators serve the lobbyists and the oligarchs, exclusively.
We saw this in the run-up to the Iraq War. Citizens wrote and called and pleaded and begged and marched over and over, demanding a NO vote to war on Iraq. We couldn't even persuade Hillary Clinton, John Kerry, or Joe Biden to vote NO.
Well said, Ayla. However, you can't let the sh**ters get you down. Personally, I've never found a worthy, losing cause not worth fighting for; the alternative is depression. Clinton, Kerry and Biden didn't get the memo; maybe they'll get it now? Let's make 'em feel the Bern.
See you in the streets!
Andy Seles
Billionaire Michael Bloomberg (D) is offering to pay campaign field staffers $6,000 per month, a job application for the position shows.
A field organizer application for Bloomberg’s campaign has piqued interest after it was revealed that he is offering to compensate the applicant with a $6,000 monthly salary, which comes to $72,000 annually, should his campaign last that long.
“As a Field Organizer you’ll execute the overall field strategy in each state and maximize the campaign’s outreach to key constituency groups,” the application states.
“A field organizer is the eyes and ears of the campaign and will be responsible for daily and weekly goals, all of which will be reported and tracked. This position will report to the Regional Organizing Director,” it continues.
Duties include:
Being accountable for reaching individual goals and metrics outlined in the field plan by Regional Organizing Directors.
Identifying and track field staff progress to daily and weekly goals.
Serving as a campaign representative within the state with community members, voters and volunteers.
The campaign requires the applicant to have one cycle of political field experience (or comparable experience), a “flexible, adaptive, and composed” attitude, and the ability to work under pressure, among other requirements.
“We’re proud to provide all Mike Bloomberg 2020 full-time employees with a competitive salary and comprehensive benefits coverage including health care, vision, and dental insurance,” the application states.
“Mike Bloomberg is paying FIELD ORGANIZERS $6,000 a month. If you don’t think money is impacting the elections, I know plenty of people willing to sacrifice their morals to get paid that much,” student activist and Chair of High School Democrats of Missouri Rachel Gonzalez wrote on Twitter, arguing that it is emblematic of a system “that allows billionaires to buy their way into elections.”
“Most of the other campaigns cannot afford to pay staffers that much. I guarantee most state-directors aren’t being paid that much either,” she added.
A recent Harvard/Harris poll shows Bloomberg trailing closely behind Mayor Pete Buttigieg (D) with seven percent support:
National @Harverd/@HarrisPoll:
Biden 29%
Sanders 16%
Warren 13%
Buttigieg 8%
Bloomberg 7%
No results for the rest of the candidates https://t.co/gzwTWrH42I
— Political Polls (@PpollingNumbers) December 9, 2019
Bloomberg is currently in fifth place nationally with 5.3 percent support, Tuesday’s RealClearPolitics average showed.
Congress has been ceding its powers ~~ and responsibilities ~~ to the executive branch for a long while now. That didn't start with this presidency.
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