[…] Through the Constitution, the framers imposed upon the president the duty and obligation to “take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed” and made him swear an oath that he would fulfill that duty of faithful execution. They believed that a president would break his oath if he engaged in self-dealing — if he used his powers to put his own interests above the nation’s. That would be the paradigmatic case for impeachment.
[…]
So it appears that the president might have used his official powers — in particular, perhaps the threat of withholding a quarter-billion dollars in military aid — to leverage a foreign government into helping him defeat a potential political opponent in the United States.
If Trump did that, it would be the ultimate impeachable act. Trump has already done more than enough to warrant impeachment and removal with his relentless attempts, on multiple fronts, to sabotage the counterintelligence and criminal investigation by then-special counsel Robert S. Mueller III and to conceal evidence of those attempts. The president’s efforts were impeachable because, in committing those obstructive acts, he put his personal interests above the nation’s: He tried to stop an investigation into whether a hostile foreign power, Russia, tried to interfere with our democracy — simply because he seemed to find it personally embarrassing. Trump breached his duty of faithful execution to the nation not only because he likely broke the law but also because, through his disregard for the law, he put his self-interest first.
The current whistleblowing allegations, however, are even worse. Unlike the allegations of conspiracy with Russia before the 2016 election, these concern Trump’s actions as president, not as a private citizen, and his exercise of presidential powers over foreign policy with Ukraine. Moreover, with Russia, at least there was an attempt to get the facts through the Mueller investigation; here the White House is trying to shut down the entire inquiry from the start — depriving not just the American people, but even congressional intelligence committees, of necessary information.
[…]
Congressional procrastination has probably emboldened Trump, and it risks emboldening future presidents who might turn out to be of his sorry ilk. To borrow John Dean’s haunting Watergate-era metaphor once again, there is a cancer on the presidency, and cancers, if not removed, only grow. Congress bears the duty to use the tools provided by the Constitution to remove that cancer now, before it’s too late. As Elbridge Gerry put it at the 1787 Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, “A good magistrate will not fear [impeachments]. A bad one ought to be kept in fear of them.” By now, Congress should know which one Trump is.
Everything George says these days makes you want to go read old “Can The Marriage Be Saved” articles. The Conway relationship is approaching farce or some huge practical joke played on America.
If you think back to the Matalin-Carville era, not dissimilar. Mary hollered for Clinton’s impeachment.
or who knows, Jamie, it might be the ultimate example of a blonde-headed mole in the white house garden.
talk about urgent concern
Pat, you’re so good at finding clips. Maher show, toward the end last night, did a compilation of Trump’s craziest moments on stage that was hilarious.
craig, in the meantime here’s the monologue
here it is
Heck of a morning. Looked at obituaries for good news. Did not find any good news. Dog wanting out hourly, starting before midnight. Dog does not feel good. Get in truck to go visit a boat. Four miles down the road truck dies. Get truck started and the air conditioner unit blows up, air conditioner oil coats all windows – inside. Get down the road another twenty miles and give up. Truck is not happy. Dog is not happy. I am very unhappy. All that before eight am.
One side effect of age, except for those with some mental condition, is you get very cautious about taking risks. I am very concerned Speaker Pelosi is demonstrating being very cautious. Although I want her to be president, at least for a while, she is not going to get there without action now.
HBO’s Bill Maher ended his Friday night broadcast of Real Time by taking aim at Republicans and conservative pundits who defend President Donald Trump regardless of what he says and does, introducing a new concept: Catch-23.
During his “New Rules” segment, Maher explained to his viewers that “Catch-22 meant if you claimed to be insane to get out of combat, it actually proved you were sane.” On the other hand, “Catch-23 is if Donald Trump never makes you insane, you are insane!”
Noting that Republicans love to toss around the term “Trump Derangement Syndrome” to brush aside criticism of the “Dear Leader” as nothing but liberals being “sore losers” who can’t accept Trump is president, Maher admitted there was some of that on the left before asking: “Have you watched this man over the last four years?!”
Playing a montage of Trump’s most bizarre moments at his campaign rallies, the HBO star snarked that Republicans somehow came to the conclusion that this was “how a president behaves” before pointing out that conservatives were correct to say liberals haven’t gotten over Trump.
“You’re right. we haven’t gotten over it, because no one should,” he exclaimed.
[continues]
I’m having SFB exhaustion syndrome. Love the shop hours sign Sturg. I may have one of those drawn up for my office, with a few mods to reflect my own slothfulness. Mrs. P’s would look vastly different.
bbronc, I think the universe is trying to tell you to stay home today. 3 bad things in succession going wrong is a pretty big hint.
I like those hours, Sturg
Good work, Pat. That’s it. The real of Trump blurbs could be a Dem ad all by itself, no commentary
I found that in a truck stop funny signs display around 91; it’s been on the big doors since then. Funny thing is, it’s actually true.
There was another one I saw but didn’t purchase which I’ve since looked for and not found which went something like “There they go, something something something, and I must follow them: For I am their leader.”
The Commander leads the formation. The First Sergeant trails it. The Commander’s role is obvious, to lead. The First Sergeant’s is to keep the formation moving and, if warranted, to shoot deserters. Which role would you prefer?
The following well-known quote, or some variation of it, is often attributed to Ledru-Rollin: “There go the people. I must follow them, for I am their leader.” The quote is probably apocryphal.
“There goes my people. I must follow them, for I am their leader.”
― Mahatma Gandhi
I just tossed $5 to Corey Booker. Not because he is my first choice, but because it is too soon for any of the really good candidates to leave particularly when faced with the way too white caucus state.
Craig
Matelin and Carver weren’t married at the time, and neither was employed by the White House other than as campaign staff. They have now made a career of bickering on TV, but no official roles. She has become a Libertarian, but still praises Trump. He on the other hand says he would prefer a colonoscopy and they don’t talk politics at home.
Flaticus
If it’s a Kierkegaardian either/or, I’d perform my best wherever I was assigned; but if I had my druthers I’d rather be radioman in a C-130 or a Grumman HU-16 Albatross over the Atlantic attempting to save those intrepid mariners who might otherwise soon be stowing their gear in Davy Jones’s locker.
Also, those lost at sea guys weren’t shooting at you.
TeeVee Alert: Seventeen 2020 Democratic presidential candidates speak at the Polk County Democrats’ Steak Fry in Des Moines, IA – LIVE at 2pm ET on C-SPAN https://cs.pn/31EJxGj
I stress “over” the Atlantic, not “in” the Atlantic.
Message from Tornado Gallery in Lubbock, Tx in response to my query about Colorado Bob:
“Haven’t seen or heard from him in months, but he’s ok, I still talk to his sister.”
I played Des Moines oncet. We had a Band Trailer to stay in as part of the deal, where we noticed that the plaque which gave a WARNING that the place was under surveillance etc was posted INSIDE the trailer.
Reminds me of the old Willie Nelson joke:
“We played Des Moines last night; Des Moines won.”
Sturg, I’d be proud serving with you wherever. Last month met a woman, a cashier at Kroger, who showed me the tattoo of her HU-16 on her forearm. Said she was one of the first woman jumpers from that helo. In Panama, we had a bunch of UH-1N’s. They were armed to the teeth. The crews were proud of them and their Naval heritage.
Mary Matalin now the frozen face of the Libertarian party
What a disgusting couple They don’t appear on any tv I watch I kind of hoped they had retired
While I’d had some time in the helicopter (HU-1 Huey was a copter) the HU16 Albatross was the twin-engine amphibious airplane in which I spent most of my flying time.
I remember being very happy to finally be out of 9 mos. of electronics school at Memphis, and and find myself actually flying around looking at shit.
How many pics would a pic post post, if a pic post could post pics?
I also remember being acutely aware of just how far away from the ground I was and thus, I haven’t been in an airplane since 1977.
“It’s safer than cars”, they tell me. And while I concede this, statistically speaking, I have to be in a car anyway, so why double up?
For one thing, when I’m in a car, I’M the pilot, and you would be the guy over in the passenger seat thinking, “Geez, I hope he’s not freaking out”.
I’d really love to have a HU-16, but I can’t afford the fuel. sigh.
Being a $B!LL!ONA!RE might not be ALL bad.
You wouldn’t have to GO anywhere in it, it could just sit in the yard. We all knew its real purpose: if you have a terrible hangover you can go out and sit in the pilot seat and put on the oxygen mask and turn on the oxygen. Good stuff, that oxygen.
I liked that wiki on the Albatross
And for the finale of the day – I feel like I was hung on the clothesline and had all the dust beat out of me with a rug beater. Slept three of the last five hours and ready to crawl back into the bed. I need to also look into the truck engine to see if anything is obviously broken, like an a/c hose. That can wait.
Sigh…..as I approach senility I find more and more matters being tossed into the “that can wait” locker. Much of it goes into a little box in there marked “that can go to hell”.
At Air and Space Museum Dulles) today.
Discovery flew most missions of the fleet — 39
Discovery retired too soon, along with the rest of the fleet.
Craig
While in DC, the Smithsonian museums were the gift I gave myself almost every weekend. My favorites were History, Hirshhorn and Art, I always tried to get into Air and Space when the crowds weren’t completely out of hand.
This is the one out in Virginia, had never been. A friend who is a tour guide taking us through.
Hah! The only aircraft I remember from my last visit there 1954? was the Spirit of St Louis.
September 21, 2019 MSM News http://MOXNews.com Elizabeth Warren’s Speech At Iowa’s Polk County Democrats’ Steak Fry
18 of the 2020 Democratic presidential candidates spoke at the Polk County Democrats’ Steak Fry in Des Moines, Iowa.
BB, for goodness sake, be safe…
and get AAA.
Sturg, prolly a redneck mod of this.
NUMBER:
1021
AUTHOR:
Alexandre Auguste Ledru-Rollin (1807–74)
QUOTATION:
There go the people. I must follow them, for I am their leader.
ATTRIBUTION:
Attributed to ALEXANDRE LEDRU-ROLLIN, one of the leaders of the February Revolution of 1848 in France. James Michael Curley uses this quotation as an epigraph at the beginning of chapter 4 of his autobiography, I’d Do It Again, p. 44 (1957), and attributes it to a French Revolutionist. Attribution to Gandhi of “I must follow the people for I am their leader” is made by Leon Howell, “The Delta Ministry,” Christianity and Crisis, August 8, 1966, p. 192. Alvin R. Calman, Ledru-Rollin and the Second French Republic (Studies in History, Economics and Public Law, vol. 103, no. 2), p. 374 (1922), says Ledru-Rollin’s use of “I am their chief; I must follow them” is probably apocryphal.
SUBJECTS:
Leadership
Or something like it
The one I saw was longer and yes, typical truck stop kind of bent to it……
somebody somewhere had added to it.
I’m all in for Warren.
Joe running for office, coupled with Trumpsky’s paranoia, may be a great gift to US democracy. Impeach the bum, now!
George Conway op ed
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/trump-has-done-plenty-to-warrant-impeachment-but-the-ukraine-allegations-are-over-the-top/2019/09/20/51eff90c-dbf1-11e9-bfb1-849887369476_story.html
[…] Through the Constitution, the framers imposed upon the president the duty and obligation to “take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed” and made him swear an oath that he would fulfill that duty of faithful execution. They believed that a president would break his oath if he engaged in self-dealing — if he used his powers to put his own interests above the nation’s. That would be the paradigmatic case for impeachment.
[…]
So it appears that the president might have used his official powers — in particular, perhaps the threat of withholding a quarter-billion dollars in military aid — to leverage a foreign government into helping him defeat a potential political opponent in the United States.
If Trump did that, it would be the ultimate impeachable act. Trump has already done more than enough to warrant impeachment and removal with his relentless attempts, on multiple fronts, to sabotage the counterintelligence and criminal investigation by then-special counsel Robert S. Mueller III and to conceal evidence of those attempts. The president’s efforts were impeachable because, in committing those obstructive acts, he put his personal interests above the nation’s: He tried to stop an investigation into whether a hostile foreign power, Russia, tried to interfere with our democracy — simply because he seemed to find it personally embarrassing. Trump breached his duty of faithful execution to the nation not only because he likely broke the law but also because, through his disregard for the law, he put his self-interest first.
The current whistleblowing allegations, however, are even worse. Unlike the allegations of conspiracy with Russia before the 2016 election, these concern Trump’s actions as president, not as a private citizen, and his exercise of presidential powers over foreign policy with Ukraine. Moreover, with Russia, at least there was an attempt to get the facts through the Mueller investigation; here the White House is trying to shut down the entire inquiry from the start — depriving not just the American people, but even congressional intelligence committees, of necessary information.
[…]
Congressional procrastination has probably emboldened Trump, and it risks emboldening future presidents who might turn out to be of his sorry ilk. To borrow John Dean’s haunting Watergate-era metaphor once again, there is a cancer on the presidency, and cancers, if not removed, only grow. Congress bears the duty to use the tools provided by the Constitution to remove that cancer now, before it’s too late. As Elbridge Gerry put it at the 1787 Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, “A good magistrate will not fear [impeachments]. A bad one ought to be kept in fear of them.” By now, Congress should know which one Trump is.
Everything George says these days makes you want to go read old “Can The Marriage Be Saved” articles. The Conway relationship is approaching farce or some huge practical joke played on America.
If you think back to the Matalin-Carville era, not dissimilar. Mary hollered for Clinton’s impeachment.
or who knows, Jamie, it might be the ultimate example of a blonde-headed mole in the white house garden.
talk about urgent concern
Pat, you’re so good at finding clips. Maher show, toward the end last night, did a compilation of Trump’s craziest moments on stage that was hilarious.
craig, in the meantime here’s the monologue
here it is
Heck of a morning. Looked at obituaries for good news. Did not find any good news. Dog wanting out hourly, starting before midnight. Dog does not feel good. Get in truck to go visit a boat. Four miles down the road truck dies. Get truck started and the air conditioner unit blows up, air conditioner oil coats all windows – inside. Get down the road another twenty miles and give up. Truck is not happy. Dog is not happy. I am very unhappy. All that before eight am.
One side effect of age, except for those with some mental condition, is you get very cautious about taking risks. I am very concerned Speaker Pelosi is demonstrating being very cautious. Although I want her to be president, at least for a while, she is not going to get there without action now.
daily beast liked it too:
I’m having SFB exhaustion syndrome. Love the shop hours sign Sturg. I may have one of those drawn up for my office, with a few mods to reflect my own slothfulness. Mrs. P’s would look vastly different.
bbronc, I think the universe is trying to tell you to stay home today. 3 bad things in succession going wrong is a pretty big hint.
I like those hours, Sturg
Good work, Pat. That’s it. The real of Trump blurbs could be a Dem ad all by itself, no commentary
I found that in a truck stop funny signs display around 91; it’s been on the big doors since then. Funny thing is, it’s actually true.
There was another one I saw but didn’t purchase which I’ve since looked for and not found which went something like “There they go, something something something, and I must follow them: For I am their leader.”
The Commander leads the formation. The First Sergeant trails it. The Commander’s role is obvious, to lead. The First Sergeant’s is to keep the formation moving and, if warranted, to shoot deserters. Which role would you prefer?
sturge,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexandre_Auguste_Ledru-Rollin
The following well-known quote, or some variation of it, is often attributed to Ledru-Rollin: “There go the people. I must follow them, for I am their leader.” The quote is probably apocryphal.
otherwise attributed by goodreads
“There goes my people. I must follow them, for I am their leader.”
― Mahatma Gandhi
I just tossed $5 to Corey Booker. Not because he is my first choice, but because it is too soon for any of the really good candidates to leave particularly when faced with the way too white caucus state.
Craig
Matelin and Carver weren’t married at the time, and neither was employed by the White House other than as campaign staff. They have now made a career of bickering on TV, but no official roles. She has become a Libertarian, but still praises Trump. He on the other hand says he would prefer a colonoscopy and they don’t talk politics at home.
Flaticus
If it’s a Kierkegaardian either/or, I’d perform my best wherever I was assigned; but if I had my druthers I’d rather be radioman in a C-130 or a Grumman HU-16 Albatross over the Atlantic attempting to save those intrepid mariners who might otherwise soon be stowing their gear in Davy Jones’s locker.
Also, those lost at sea guys weren’t shooting at you.
TeeVee Alert: Seventeen 2020 Democratic presidential candidates speak at the Polk County Democrats’ Steak Fry in Des Moines, IA – LIVE at 2pm ET on C-SPAN https://cs.pn/31EJxGj
I stress “over” the Atlantic, not “in” the Atlantic.
Message from Tornado Gallery in Lubbock, Tx in response to my query about Colorado Bob:
“Haven’t seen or heard from him in months, but he’s ok, I still talk to his sister.”
I played Des Moines oncet. We had a Band Trailer to stay in as part of the deal, where we noticed that the plaque which gave a WARNING that the place was under surveillance etc was posted INSIDE the trailer.
Reminds me of the old Willie Nelson joke:
“We played Des Moines last night; Des Moines won.”
Sturg, I’d be proud serving with you wherever. Last month met a woman, a cashier at Kroger, who showed me the tattoo of her HU-16 on her forearm. Said she was one of the first woman jumpers from that helo. In Panama, we had a bunch of UH-1N’s. They were armed to the teeth. The crews were proud of them and their Naval heritage.
Mary Matalin now the frozen face of the Libertarian party
What a disgusting couple They don’t appear on any tv I watch I kind of hoped they had retired
While I’d had some time in the helicopter (HU-1 Huey was a copter) the HU16 Albatross was the twin-engine amphibious airplane in which I spent most of my flying time.
I remember being very happy to finally be out of 9 mos. of electronics school at Memphis, and and find myself actually flying around looking at shit.
Can’t make the pic post, but
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grumman_HU-16_Albatross
How many pics would a pic post post, if a pic post could post pics?
I also remember being acutely aware of just how far away from the ground I was and thus, I haven’t been in an airplane since 1977.
“It’s safer than cars”, they tell me. And while I concede this, statistically speaking, I have to be in a car anyway, so why double up?
For one thing, when I’m in a car, I’M the pilot, and you would be the guy over in the passenger seat thinking, “Geez, I hope he’s not freaking out”.
This is an article on Hunter Biden from the New Yorker
I think it pretty wells lays out tht he is a fuck-up and the sins of the son have nothing to do with his father
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/07/08/will-hunter-biden-jeopardize-his-fathers-campaign
I’d really love to have a HU-16, but I can’t afford the fuel. sigh.
Being a $B!LL!ONA!RE might not be ALL bad.
You wouldn’t have to GO anywhere in it, it could just sit in the yard. We all knew its real purpose: if you have a terrible hangover you can go out and sit in the pilot seat and put on the oxygen mask and turn on the oxygen. Good stuff, that oxygen.
I liked that wiki on the Albatross
And for the finale of the day – I feel like I was hung on the clothesline and had all the dust beat out of me with a rug beater. Slept three of the last five hours and ready to crawl back into the bed. I need to also look into the truck engine to see if anything is obviously broken, like an a/c hose. That can wait.
Sigh…..as I approach senility I find more and more matters being tossed into the “that can wait” locker. Much of it goes into a little box in there marked “that can go to hell”.
At Air and Space Museum Dulles) today.
Discovery flew most missions of the fleet — 39
Discovery retired too soon, along with the rest of the fleet.
Craig
While in DC, the Smithsonian museums were the gift I gave myself almost every weekend. My favorites were History, Hirshhorn and Art, I always tried to get into Air and Space when the crowds weren’t completely out of hand.
This is the one out in Virginia, had never been. A friend who is a tour guide taking us through.
Hah! The only aircraft I remember from my last visit there 1954? was the Spirit of St Louis.
September 21, 2019 MSM News http://MOXNews.com
Elizabeth Warren’s Speech At Iowa’s Polk County Democrats’ Steak Fry
18 of the 2020 Democratic presidential candidates spoke at the Polk County Democrats’ Steak Fry in Des Moines, Iowa.
BB, for goodness sake, be safe…
and get AAA.
Sturg, prolly a redneck mod of this.
Or something like it
The one I saw was longer and yes, typical truck stop kind of bent to it……
somebody somewhere had added to it.
I’m all in for Warren.
Joe running for office, coupled with Trumpsky’s paranoia, may be a great gift to US democracy. Impeach the bum, now!
NEW THREAD