Res Ipsa wrote:I certainly could be overestimating, but I think "drastically" is a tad drastic, don't you think? It may be that the strong economy makes Trump a slight favorite in 2020, but to some extent we're in uncharted territory here. I think there are pretty good signs that republicans are becoming increasingly worried about Trump's unpopularity and the primarying of moderate GOP congresspeople with extremists that are more vulnerable to losing to a democrat. I think the ghost of Nixon and the Saturday Night Massacre are hovering at the back of many GOP minds, and firing Mueller could be the proverbial straw. Situations that look remarkably stable can unravel on the turn of a dime. And I think our current situation has significant potential for that.
By "drastic" what I mean is you are staking out the position that Trump firing Mueller will be politically untenable enough that electoral pressure will force Republicans to oppose Trump in large enough numbers to have him removed from office. Instead, I think firing Mueller will be a storm they can weather that ultimately might shave a few points at most off their election totals, and possibly not even that. Opposing him might be political suicide in that right-wing media might turn on them for doing so,which would depress Republican turnout and hurt them in elections just the same. It's not even clear which is the worse decision from a electioneering standpoint, which tells you that assuming it will be a millstone is going too far.
Nixon was facing very large Democrat majorities in Congress and had nothing resembling the right-wing propaganda apparatus and intense partisan loyalty of conservatives at his back. It's a different situation.
Doctor CamNC4Me wrote:I wonder if the 25th amendment is an actual possibility...
- Doc
I don't think so, Doc. I think it was really intended for incapacitated presidents. If the Congress doesn't have the will to impeach, I can't see the cabinet stepping in to declare him incompetent.
Trump can simply challenge and replace a cabinet that 25th amendment's him. That can be overridden by the Senate with the same vote totals that it would take to remove him from office. So if there's the political will to 25th amendment, there's the political will to remove from office through impeachment.
As you said, the 25th amendment is intended for and works for incapacitated presidents. Impeachment remains the remedy for a mad king.
EAllusion wrote:Dana Boente resigned today. Could be coincidental, but I'd love to be on a fly on the wall to know if it wasn't.
Hadn't heard that. He's in the western district of VA. I think the grand jury that handed down indictments is in DC. But there are rumors of other grand juries. I can't recall offhand whether any of those are empaneled in the western district of VA.
I'd love to be a fly on lots of walls these days.
“The ideal subject of totalitarian rule is not the convinced Nazi or the dedicated communist, but people for whom the distinction between fact and fiction, true and false, no longer exists.”
― Hannah Arendt, The Origins of Totalitarianism, 1951
EAllusion wrote:Dana Boente resigned today. Could be coincidental, but I'd love to be on a fly on the wall to know if it wasn't.
Hadn't heard that. He's in the western district of VA. I think the grand jury that handed down indictments is in DC. But there are rumors of other grand juries. I can't recall offhand whether any of those are empaneled in the western district of VA.
Res Ipsa wrote: I think so. The Congressional Republicans have put up with him because they think he'll rubber stamp whatever the pass. But at some point, he would simply become to big of a millstone around their necks. I think firing Mueller would result in them deciding to cut their losses.
They'll get everything Evil with Pence and none of the insanity. Pence will play the good Christian and pardon Drumpf. Bygones will be bygones and the destruction of American will pick up steam.
“The ideal subject of totalitarian rule is not the convinced Nazi or the dedicated communist, but people for whom the distinction between fact and fiction, true and false, no longer exists.”
― Hannah Arendt, The Origins of Totalitarianism, 1951
So funny I wake up this morning and this is all the rage in the media except for.... (drum roll).... FOX News.
Over at FOX they're still gushing over Trump and the recent tax reform bill that narrowly passed the House yesterday. It is still the primary "FOX NEWS ALERT" as if it is still news. I've been flipping back and forth out of curiosity for about an hour and thus far no mention of the indictment from the Mueller investigation.
But over at CNN they had a Republican Congressman dismiss it all, insisting that the real investigation/scandal is over Uranium One and Russia's attempt to help Hillary Clinton (LOL). The CNN host got him to finally admit that Russia didn't actually get any Uranium from any of this, and admit that all intelligence agencies have said this doesn't in any way create a threat to national security.
And now they're reporting that Hillary and many in her campaign didn't even know about the dossier until after it was published. They're saying that if they had known about it during the campaign then they certainly would have used it.