I believe it would be wise if we stopped saying we’re trying to keep Maga Republicans from getting on ballots or citing insurrections. A stronger much more inclusive argument is that we’re trying to stop anyone with certain characteristics and qualities. We don’t care if they’re Republicans, Democrats, or aliens. I believe we need to think bigger and cast a wider net. thank you.
I believe you are correct. How shall we say this moving forward? I was one of the founders of The Barmen Declaration a few years ago- based on the original, of course. I’m all about gathering like-minded people to try to spread sanity and love like those liberals Buddha and Jesus.
sraustocker@yahoo if you’re interested. Same invitation to any and all. I know there are many of us. Susan
So why can’t we??? We have some very lax laws that ever even allowed Trump to ever run. He should have been banned in 2016. He was a known conniver in the 80’s and 90’s when he forced himself on the public arena.
Right well Biden can recognize when it's "not a normal" court but our media can't recognize when it's "not a normal political party" we are dealing with.
NYT helped put trump in office by providing 16 million worth of coverage in 2015 that trump didn't have to pay for. The whole point which should have been page 1 of every media is this man had NO qualifications to run in 2016 (never ran in an election, no fbi check, no military or foreign policy experience) and now has major negative qualifications. But media is the whole problem - trump and republicans are basically just thin media veneers.
Ah! The NYT and all the mainstream media have and are continuing to enable Trump and the Republicans and it’s reprehensible. I recently was reminded of a Jesse Jackson comment from years ago. He said, “If I walked on water, the printed news would be, Jesse Jackson can’t swim.”
Completely agree Marie. Like weeds in the garden, these "connivers" should be nipped in the bud. The way things are now, any person, even if they're a mental deviant like Trump, as long as they represent the billioniare's interests, can get themselves elected to office in the U.S.
I totally agree, but I think Trump will get off without jail time and the D.C. Judge Chutkan, who seems to be forceful and unafraid, has never the less not put Trump in jail for violating the protective order. And a lowly magistrate judge in Florida, Aileen Cannon is back talking DOJ for trying Trump in DC. And she is getting away with it. Which leads me back to my criticism, there is something rotten in DOJ, besides being staff with Trump Humpers it is led by an ultra conservative right winger who failed to start investigating Trump until one year and 11 months after the J6 Committee started, and Garland still has done nothing about Boebert, Gym Jordan, Josh Hawley and the other conspirators in Congress, only low level cult members have been tried, and most of them got only a slap on the wrist, with misdemeanor charges..
How do you propose these "connivers" be "nipped in the bud" without throwing law and the Constitution out the window? Perhaps inadvertently, however, you have hinted at a strategy that might help get us out of the mess we're in and still be consistent with the Constitution and democratic practice. You refer to Trump-like individuals arising "as long as they represent the billionaires' interests." Maybe that lies at the root of the problem? Maybe the real "connivers" include the Supreme Court justices who decided _Citizens United_ and opened the floodgates to dark money in politics. You could also go back to the Reagan administration, whose policies have empowered corporations and grossly increased wealth inequality in the U.S.
It'd begin by seeing the job of the presidency as exactly that - a job! Lose the power, lose the wealth, the president should be the greatest of servants, risen to that position by proving themselves in a lifetime of service. Like any other job, they have to be held accountable, so if, as was the case with Trump, trained psychologists/psychiatrists begin to question the sanity of the president, it isn't shrugged off. And don't allow someone like McConnell, just because they're the leader of the Senate, to shrug off the will of the people to impeach - that is criminal. No one should have the sort of power to do that. Because of him, America's in this predicament.
This sounds like "Abracadabra, let there be light!"
My question -- THE question -- is how do you make it happen? Not you personally -- how do "we the people" make it happen, assuming that enough of us want it to happen. Btw, Trump *was* impeached. Twice. He wasn't convicted either time, but the reasons for that go way beyond Mitch McConnell.
You're all "should should should," but very little of this has ever been true in the U.S. system, which is a long way from the worst in the world history. In fact, I'm thinking it would be hard to fully implement in my small town, pop. about 3,500. McConnell didn't come out of nowhere. Neither did Trump. Neither did the current godawful incarnation of the Republican Party. Pay attention to the systems that made them possible (inevitable even). Then do your bit to help either fix or dismantle them.
Would you lay out a plausible (i.e., constitutional, consistent with democracy) rationale for keeping someone off the ballot for being a "known conniver"?
Matt Gaetz has been investigated and has committed Federal Crimes, violation of he Mann act for one, Yet Garland has not even indicated a spossibility that Gaetz will be indicted, and he should have 2 years ago, is he waiting for a statute of limitations to run out, can Gaetz implicate some important people, judge or politician.
That Garland has done and wil do nothing about Gaetz, Indicates complicity or cowardice.
Gaez should be in prison, so Mssr Garland, why isn't he?
Yep. Garland wasn't going to do anything but was shamed into it by the J6 committee and he is still running interference for the traiitors./ Gaetz, Boebert, MTG, Hawley, Jordan etc have not been charged and never will. And for the 100th time, Garland was vetted to Obama by the most right wing Republican in congress, Orrin Hatch, and then served as a moderator for the Federalist Society. I blame Obama for being weak, and accepting the traitor Garland, and Biden for appointing him as AG. Every action stems from a cause or motivation, so what was Obama's, being charitable he was willing to throw democracy on the garbage pile, because he wanted a win, and nothing else. Biden the same. Biden can remove Garland, but that is admitting poor judgement
The problem is that Democratic politicians are pragmatic, and only interested in winning.
While Republicans are ideologically driven, as well as motivated by their base.
Democrats have, to my experience, courted the base until they win an election, then they ignore the base and try to appease the right. That is being generous. However too many of them are beholden to PACs. corporations and billionaires.
The sheer number of billionaires is shameful, as the number of billionaires rise, the number of middle class declines.
I love the movement to ban Tя☭mp from being on the ballot in several states; but what would prevent states like Texas, TN, and GA from banning Biden? There’s no crime that I can think of that the MAGAts could use to make this happen, but these are the same people who believe that women who have abortions should be charged with murder.
It doesn't matter what the Red States do, a "liberal" will never get enough votes to win the electoral. In other words we can and should write the red states off. It takes 270 electoral votes for President, there are 177 electoral votes that Biden can count on, the other 93 votes come from the "battle ground" (swing states), which unfortunately are the very states, that flipped from Blue to swing, because of Bill Clinton until he signed NAFTA and the more liberal uupdated GAAT.
Great post today. We are finally seeing what happens when a media-created platform of lies meets the standards of the federal justice system, and it isn't pretty at all. Trump's lawyers requested a delay from the judge because, instead of doing legal work, they have to be on tv lying and distracting the public. This judge is going to show them, the media and the rest of us what law and order really looks like. Just imagine if Hillary was being federally prosecuted for stealing an election and she went on TV and said it's a matter of her free-speech rights. Can you just imagine this?
I share you newsletter and Heather's but I never get a response from my friends. I guess they believe you don't talk politics or religion. Shameful!! Politics and now religion has a huge impact on the America and Americans.
This is a subject frequently discussed by many of us , who have asked repeatedly ,that this part of the 14 th Amendment be utilized for exactly what is was intended for.
The Magats can say anything they want to and of course they’ll all find a means to deny this application of the Fourteenth Amendment.
There is no possible misconstruction of this amendment to accommodate any twists or turns in meaning . It says what it means.
And it applies to Donald J Trump and his accomplices.
And this is how it happens… when the courts don’t bring consequences to legislators who are clearly engaged in seditious conspiracy
From Law and Order: “A Georgia judge has rejected an effort to disqualify Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene from public office on Friday, finding her challengers did not prove that she violated the 14th Amendment’s prohibitions by engaging in the Jan. 6 insurrection.”
Listen to episode 8 of Rachel Maddow’s ultra podcast Ultra Vires.
The last 12 minutes explain what happens when there is no access taken to bring accountability to fascist in our government.
They will work to end our democracy, and they will encourage violence to achieve their ends… which is to MAAWCN. Make America a White Christian Nation.
Trump’s refusal and failure to stop the insurrection, as his oath of office required, made him not only an organizer, planner, and leader of the attack on our Capitol, but a necessary participant in the Insurrection.
Analogizes the Versaille Treaty to Pardoing Trump. You have to read the whole link
JVL says: That if we don't pardon Trump we are setting ourselves up for a civil war.
There is no comparison. Germany had resources that Trump doesn't have, even with an inflamed mob.
But he misses an important fact, or glosses over it. On 20 December 1924, having served only nine months (for the beer hall putsch), Hitler was released (pardoned ) Once released, Hitler redirected his focus towards obtaining power through legal means rather than by revolution or force, and accordingly changed his tactics, further developing Nazi propaganda.(wikipedia, Beer hall putsch)
It was pardoning of Hitler, that saw the rise of fascism. That and he was only given 5 years, when he should have been given life.
If we the people fail to rise up and demand that the miscreants named in your report, and many more that aren't named, are banned from political office, well, then we deserve to have them as our representatives! Why do we allow these GOP terrorists to continue to poison the foundations of democracy? Now that they are publicly threatening to kill us, I'd say it was time to act aggressively to put the GOP out of business once and for all. This would be a good time to hear from Biden and Garland on this matter! Of course that won't happen in any meaningful way, because we don't really have a democracy in this country. It's an Oligarchy, and the oligarchs love Trump because he distracts attention from the rackets the corporate kleptocrats are running via the banking system and the military/industrial/congressional establishment. A democracy would be nice, but when a fascist asshole like Trump ends up in the White House, commits a slew of crimes, including insurrection, and is still walking around loose, it doesn't take a genius to see that the Rule of Law has been bent in favor of the rich, not extended impartially for the benefit of the Common Good as the Constitution intends.
Better to use the All Writs Act than to file a law suit. The text of the 14th amendment prohibits placing on the ballot any who have "...engaged in...insurrection...". The duty of the secretary of state of each state is (among others) to follow state and federal law, including clear constitutional statements. The Writ of Mandamus, an ex parte proceeding, can and should be used. Simply file a motion for a writ in the appropriate court of jurisdiction. It is an ex parte proceeding that I have used successfully.
An order from the court will provide the Secretary of State with a shield from political blow-back, something every politician likes when taking a prospectively unpopular (with his or her constituents) action.
Good, strategic piece, Thom ! However, I just heard you say on your program today that you don't believe a race between Trump & Biden is close....because Joe won by 7 million votes in 2020. I'm surprised to hear you say this because the actual number of votes that put Joe Biden over the top in the Electoral College was less than 80,000 votes across 4 states: AZ, GA, NV, & WS. That's an average of a mere 20,000 votes per state ! A drop in the bucket, eh? This is why the Repugs are so motivated to use their various voter-suppression tricks everywhere they can. They know that that came very close in 2020....and unless things change...they could potentially do it again...but win.
I believe it would be wise if we stopped saying we’re trying to keep Maga Republicans from getting on ballots or citing insurrections. A stronger much more inclusive argument is that we’re trying to stop anyone with certain characteristics and qualities. We don’t care if they’re Republicans, Democrats, or aliens. I believe we need to think bigger and cast a wider net. thank you.
I believe it is possible that you may have understated your case. :-)
I believe you are correct. How shall we say this moving forward? I was one of the founders of The Barmen Declaration a few years ago- based on the original, of course. I’m all about gathering like-minded people to try to spread sanity and love like those liberals Buddha and Jesus.
sraustocker@yahoo if you’re interested. Same invitation to any and all. I know there are many of us. Susan
So why can’t we??? We have some very lax laws that ever even allowed Trump to ever run. He should have been banned in 2016. He was a known conniver in the 80’s and 90’s when he forced himself on the public arena.
Right well Biden can recognize when it's "not a normal" court but our media can't recognize when it's "not a normal political party" we are dealing with.
NYT helped put trump in office by providing 16 million worth of coverage in 2015 that trump didn't have to pay for. The whole point which should have been page 1 of every media is this man had NO qualifications to run in 2016 (never ran in an election, no fbi check, no military or foreign policy experience) and now has major negative qualifications. But media is the whole problem - trump and republicans are basically just thin media veneers.
Ah! The NYT and all the mainstream media have and are continuing to enable Trump and the Republicans and it’s reprehensible. I recently was reminded of a Jesse Jackson comment from years ago. He said, “If I walked on water, the printed news would be, Jesse Jackson can’t swim.”
Completely agree Marie. Like weeds in the garden, these "connivers" should be nipped in the bud. The way things are now, any person, even if they're a mental deviant like Trump, as long as they represent the billioniare's interests, can get themselves elected to office in the U.S.
I totally agree, but I think Trump will get off without jail time and the D.C. Judge Chutkan, who seems to be forceful and unafraid, has never the less not put Trump in jail for violating the protective order. And a lowly magistrate judge in Florida, Aileen Cannon is back talking DOJ for trying Trump in DC. And she is getting away with it. Which leads me back to my criticism, there is something rotten in DOJ, besides being staff with Trump Humpers it is led by an ultra conservative right winger who failed to start investigating Trump until one year and 11 months after the J6 Committee started, and Garland still has done nothing about Boebert, Gym Jordan, Josh Hawley and the other conspirators in Congress, only low level cult members have been tried, and most of them got only a slap on the wrist, with misdemeanor charges..
Something certainly is rotten in Denmark
How do you propose these "connivers" be "nipped in the bud" without throwing law and the Constitution out the window? Perhaps inadvertently, however, you have hinted at a strategy that might help get us out of the mess we're in and still be consistent with the Constitution and democratic practice. You refer to Trump-like individuals arising "as long as they represent the billionaires' interests." Maybe that lies at the root of the problem? Maybe the real "connivers" include the Supreme Court justices who decided _Citizens United_ and opened the floodgates to dark money in politics. You could also go back to the Reagan administration, whose policies have empowered corporations and grossly increased wealth inequality in the U.S.
It'd begin by seeing the job of the presidency as exactly that - a job! Lose the power, lose the wealth, the president should be the greatest of servants, risen to that position by proving themselves in a lifetime of service. Like any other job, they have to be held accountable, so if, as was the case with Trump, trained psychologists/psychiatrists begin to question the sanity of the president, it isn't shrugged off. And don't allow someone like McConnell, just because they're the leader of the Senate, to shrug off the will of the people to impeach - that is criminal. No one should have the sort of power to do that. Because of him, America's in this predicament.
This sounds like "Abracadabra, let there be light!"
My question -- THE question -- is how do you make it happen? Not you personally -- how do "we the people" make it happen, assuming that enough of us want it to happen. Btw, Trump *was* impeached. Twice. He wasn't convicted either time, but the reasons for that go way beyond Mitch McConnell.
You're all "should should should," but very little of this has ever been true in the U.S. system, which is a long way from the worst in the world history. In fact, I'm thinking it would be hard to fully implement in my small town, pop. about 3,500. McConnell didn't come out of nowhere. Neither did Trump. Neither did the current godawful incarnation of the Republican Party. Pay attention to the systems that made them possible (inevitable even). Then do your bit to help either fix or dismantle them.
Would you lay out a plausible (i.e., constitutional, consistent with democracy) rationale for keeping someone off the ballot for being a "known conniver"?
Matt Gaetz has been investigated and has committed Federal Crimes, violation of he Mann act for one, Yet Garland has not even indicated a spossibility that Gaetz will be indicted, and he should have 2 years ago, is he waiting for a statute of limitations to run out, can Gaetz implicate some important people, judge or politician.
That Garland has done and wil do nothing about Gaetz, Indicates complicity or cowardice.
Gaez should be in prison, so Mssr Garland, why isn't he?
William, you correctly observed the hesitance of Garland's DOJ to pursue Republican criminality in this post and the one above. I actually mentioned this in a post of my own yesterday: https://open.substack.com/pub/cjacobs/p/the-j6-house-select-committee?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=ckwco
The short version is that if not for the J6 Committee forcing Garland's hand, Smith wouldn't be dispatched to prosecute TFG for anything. Shameful.
Yep. Garland wasn't going to do anything but was shamed into it by the J6 committee and he is still running interference for the traiitors./ Gaetz, Boebert, MTG, Hawley, Jordan etc have not been charged and never will. And for the 100th time, Garland was vetted to Obama by the most right wing Republican in congress, Orrin Hatch, and then served as a moderator for the Federalist Society. I blame Obama for being weak, and accepting the traitor Garland, and Biden for appointing him as AG. Every action stems from a cause or motivation, so what was Obama's, being charitable he was willing to throw democracy on the garbage pile, because he wanted a win, and nothing else. Biden the same. Biden can remove Garland, but that is admitting poor judgement
The problem is that Democratic politicians are pragmatic, and only interested in winning.
While Republicans are ideologically driven, as well as motivated by their base.
Democrats have, to my experience, courted the base until they win an election, then they ignore the base and try to appease the right. That is being generous. However too many of them are beholden to PACs. corporations and billionaires.
The sheer number of billionaires is shameful, as the number of billionaires rise, the number of middle class declines.
I love the movement to ban Tя☭mp from being on the ballot in several states; but what would prevent states like Texas, TN, and GA from banning Biden? There’s no crime that I can think of that the MAGAts could use to make this happen, but these are the same people who believe that women who have abortions should be charged with murder.
It doesn't matter what the Red States do, a "liberal" will never get enough votes to win the electoral. In other words we can and should write the red states off. It takes 270 electoral votes for President, there are 177 electoral votes that Biden can count on, the other 93 votes come from the "battle ground" (swing states), which unfortunately are the very states, that flipped from Blue to swing, because of Bill Clinton until he signed NAFTA and the more liberal uupdated GAAT.
Great post today. We are finally seeing what happens when a media-created platform of lies meets the standards of the federal justice system, and it isn't pretty at all. Trump's lawyers requested a delay from the judge because, instead of doing legal work, they have to be on tv lying and distracting the public. This judge is going to show them, the media and the rest of us what law and order really looks like. Just imagine if Hillary was being federally prosecuted for stealing an election and she went on TV and said it's a matter of her free-speech rights. Can you just imagine this?
Bravo, great comment
I share you newsletter and Heather's but I never get a response from my friends. I guess they believe you don't talk politics or religion. Shameful!! Politics and now religion has a huge impact on the America and Americans.
Might I suggest that they are not friends but acquaintances.
This is a subject frequently discussed by many of us , who have asked repeatedly ,that this part of the 14 th Amendment be utilized for exactly what is was intended for.
The Magats can say anything they want to and of course they’ll all find a means to deny this application of the Fourteenth Amendment.
There is no possible misconstruction of this amendment to accommodate any twists or turns in meaning . It says what it means.
And it applies to Donald J Trump and his accomplices.
And this is how it happens… when the courts don’t bring consequences to legislators who are clearly engaged in seditious conspiracy
From Law and Order: “A Georgia judge has rejected an effort to disqualify Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene from public office on Friday, finding her challengers did not prove that she violated the 14th Amendment’s prohibitions by engaging in the Jan. 6 insurrection.”
Listen to episode 8 of Rachel Maddow’s ultra podcast Ultra Vires.
The last 12 minutes explain what happens when there is no access taken to bring accountability to fascist in our government.
They will work to end our democracy, and they will encourage violence to achieve their ends… which is to MAAWCN. Make America a White Christian Nation.
Trump’s refusal and failure to stop the insurrection, as his oath of office required, made him not only an organizer, planner, and leader of the attack on our Capitol, but a necessary participant in the Insurrection.
Here is an insane idea from the Bulwark JVL or Jonathan V Last https://thetriad.thebulwark.com/p/the-keynesian-case-for-pardoning?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email
Analogizes the Versaille Treaty to Pardoing Trump. You have to read the whole link
JVL says: That if we don't pardon Trump we are setting ourselves up for a civil war.
There is no comparison. Germany had resources that Trump doesn't have, even with an inflamed mob.
But he misses an important fact, or glosses over it. On 20 December 1924, having served only nine months (for the beer hall putsch), Hitler was released (pardoned ) Once released, Hitler redirected his focus towards obtaining power through legal means rather than by revolution or force, and accordingly changed his tactics, further developing Nazi propaganda.(wikipedia, Beer hall putsch)
It was pardoning of Hitler, that saw the rise of fascism. That and he was only given 5 years, when he should have been given life.
If we the people fail to rise up and demand that the miscreants named in your report, and many more that aren't named, are banned from political office, well, then we deserve to have them as our representatives! Why do we allow these GOP terrorists to continue to poison the foundations of democracy? Now that they are publicly threatening to kill us, I'd say it was time to act aggressively to put the GOP out of business once and for all. This would be a good time to hear from Biden and Garland on this matter! Of course that won't happen in any meaningful way, because we don't really have a democracy in this country. It's an Oligarchy, and the oligarchs love Trump because he distracts attention from the rackets the corporate kleptocrats are running via the banking system and the military/industrial/congressional establishment. A democracy would be nice, but when a fascist asshole like Trump ends up in the White House, commits a slew of crimes, including insurrection, and is still walking around loose, it doesn't take a genius to see that the Rule of Law has been bent in favor of the rich, not extended impartially for the benefit of the Common Good as the Constitution intends.
Better to use the All Writs Act than to file a law suit. The text of the 14th amendment prohibits placing on the ballot any who have "...engaged in...insurrection...". The duty of the secretary of state of each state is (among others) to follow state and federal law, including clear constitutional statements. The Writ of Mandamus, an ex parte proceeding, can and should be used. Simply file a motion for a writ in the appropriate court of jurisdiction. It is an ex parte proceeding that I have used successfully.
An order from the court will provide the Secretary of State with a shield from political blow-back, something every politician likes when taking a prospectively unpopular (with his or her constituents) action.
Thom, did you write this post so you could get people to look at mine today, an Open Letter to Trump that offers him a deal where he'd have to never run again to get it. Make any suggestions to make the letter better! https://suzannetaylor.substack.com/p/saving-trump-could-be-saving-ourselves
https://lawandcrime.com/high-profile/rep-marjorie-taylor-greene-beats-14th-amendment-disqualification-bid-as-judge-finds-evidence-lacking-that-shes-an-insurrectionist/
Good, strategic piece, Thom ! However, I just heard you say on your program today that you don't believe a race between Trump & Biden is close....because Joe won by 7 million votes in 2020. I'm surprised to hear you say this because the actual number of votes that put Joe Biden over the top in the Electoral College was less than 80,000 votes across 4 states: AZ, GA, NV, & WS. That's an average of a mere 20,000 votes per state ! A drop in the bucket, eh? This is why the Repugs are so motivated to use their various voter-suppression tricks everywhere they can. They know that that came very close in 2020....and unless things change...they could potentially do it again...but win.
UGH !!!