The Rude Pundit: That Letter From Trump Is Punk Ass Bitchery

[babylonsister]

http://rudepundit.blogspot.com/2019/10/that-letter-from-trump-is-punk-ass.html

The Rude Pundit
Proudly lowering the level of political discourse
10/08/2019
That Letter From Trump Is Punk Ass Bitchery


The Constitution is pretty fucking clear in how vague it is about impeachment. All it says in Article I is "The House of Representatives shall choose their speaker and other officers; and shall have the sole power of impeachment" and "The Senate shall have the sole power to try all impeachments" with more procedure following there. But that's after impeachment in the House. In Article II, you get this: the president "shall have power to grant reprieves and pardons for offenses against the United States, except in cases of impeachment." That's interesting, no? Oh, and this: "The President...shall be removed from office on impeachment for, and conviction of, treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors." There's also something about a jury not being required.

There ya go. Everything else is up to the House of Representatives on how to proceed, which is guaranteed by the Constitution ("Each House may determine the rules of its proceedings" ). Nothing in there about a vote to open an impeachment inquiry. Nothing in there about anything. At this point, the Democratic-led House of Representatives can make up any fuckin' rules it wants: "Republicans can only ask questions if they do so without pants" or "Democrats can make farting noises when Republicans speak." Or, you know, let's just investigate this and get on with it, which is what Democrats are trying to do.

snip//

Most impotently, Trump challenges Pelosi to hold a vote on the inquiry: "the House of Representatives has never attempted to launch an impeachment inquiry against the President without a majority of the House taking political accountability for that decision by voting to authorize such a dramatic constitutional step." And that gives the game away. "Political accountability" just means "I want some shit to make more campaign ads. I want some names I can toss around at my rallies of the damned."

Right now, I'm hearing the punditocracy say that Democrats should knuckle under and let Republicans have more say. They keep talking about previous impeachment hearings like Republicans now are even remotely like Republicans in 1974 (and, in 1998, it was Republicans running it). Fuck that. They are rabid dogs. Rabid dogs don't get to be treated with "fairness."

This is of a piece with the lawsuit blocking the Southern District of New York from getting Trump's taxes. Trump's lawyers argued that the president can't be held accountable for any crimes while president. It was such a breathtaking argument that a federal judge said, essentially, "Oh, fuck to the no on that shit." Now, in this letter to Democrats, his lawyer is arguing that you can't impeach the president if the president doesn't think he should be impeached. Or, in other words, he's not just above the law; he's above the Constitution.

Democrats should respond to the letter by escalating this shit. Break out the inherent contempt. Arrest some motherfuckers. Make people beg to talk. They wanna play this hard? You gotta go harder. Fuck going high. Break the foundation under them.

[FM123]

1. "Break the foundation under them"

This is exactly what we must do!

[Bernardo de La Paz]

6. And first chance legislate away any chance of establishing such a corrupt & illegitimate regime. .nt

[dalton99a]

2. Most excellent.

[Botany]

3. Nothing in there about a vote to open an impeachment inquiry. Nothing in there about anything.

+1

[Maeve]

4. That last paragraph. Yes. eom

[secondwind]

5. Kicked!

[Ponietz]

7. Recommend

Break the traitors

[Va Lefty]

8. K & R!

[calimary]

9. SUPERB point.

“They are rabid dogs. Rabid dogs don’t get to be treated with “fairness.”

But... both sides! Both SIIIIIIIIIDES!!!

[RVN VET71]

10. They wanna play this hard? You gotta go harder.

Absolutely!

How hard can the Dems go, though? Can they issue subpoenas and then actually arrest and incarcerate the scofflaws who choose Trump over the Constitution? If they can do that, they have to do it. If they can't do that then what the hell can they do? Trump's handlers are betting the farm that the Dems will wimp out, fearing political backlash -- as if that's a thing.

Rude is absolutely right here: The Dems have to strong arm a couple of Trumps weinies -- like Sondland, for starters -- subpoenaing him with the very clear promise of jail-time if he refuses to comply, and jailing him if he does refuse to comply. The rest of the Trump hirelings will fall into line very quickly after that.

If the Dems do wimp out, all is lost. The political fallout will ensure the end of America by giving Trump more ammo than he needs to beat the Dems in 2020 -- and allowing his sycophantic toadies to coat-tail into the Senate and House behind him. And that will prove to be the end of anything resembling an American constitutional republic.

[mountain grammy]

11. Well, if Ellen can be friends with W

surely torture must be fine. It's just a disagreement among friends.

Torture the motherfuckers.

Just kidding.

[lark]

12. Justice Dept. and State Dept. will receive zero funding -

until such time as all subpoenas are honored and the recipients come to the House to testify as lawfully ordered. This includes the salaries for the Cabinet members of these departments. So, no pay for Barr or Pompeo and if Mulvaney does the same, expand it to that dept. and him as well. Time to play hard ball because drumpf will not bend on this.

[Duppers]

13. Yes!!!

Hell yes.

[ancianita]

14. WHAT I'M TALKIN' 'BOUT.

[ramen]

15. +1 for using contempt charges

That is the next step. To do otherwise is to be toothless. We don't have the position to bear the consequences of being toothless about a flagrantly impeachable betrayal of the country by its leadership.

[Pepsidog]

16. I recall when Obama was President and Rs controlled the House they would do all sorts of

nefarious, juvenile stuff like turn the lights out on Dems. There hasn’t been a decent Republican in the White House since Eisenhower.

[DallasNE]

17. Impeach Trump On Bribery

Bribery is a listed offense for impeachment. How does his July 25th phone call not qualify as bribery. Or, for that matter, his DC hotel where foreign governments use Trump's hotels in a pay to play scheme. That is not only emoluments but also bribery. It is also easier to understand than high crimes and misdemeanors.

[Uncle Joe]

18. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread babylonsister.

[Major Nikon]

19. The House rules were changed to not require a vote for an impeachment inquiry

I wonder who changed those rules. Oh wait, now I remember. It was the Republicans!

Fuck them and the horse they rode in on.

[cp]

20. K&R to the power of ten!

[BlancheSplanchnik]

21. Yes, Rude Pundit.

Go hard on them.