What the Founders Told Us about ‘High Crimes and Misdemeanors’

[EasyAce]

The historical evidence suggests that a statutory violation isn’t required for impeachment. It also suggests President Trump shouldn’t be removed from office.
By John Yoo
https://www.nationalreview.com/2020/01/what-the-founders-told-us-about-high-crimes-and-misdemeanors/?utm_source=recirc-desktop&utm_medium=homepage&utm_campaign=river&utm_content=featured-content-trending&utm_term=first

. . . Democrats have made no secret of their hostility to originalism, which interprets an ambiguous constitutional text by seeking the original understanding held at the time of its ratification . . . Trump’s defense team, meanwhile, has erred even more egregiously in the opposite direction. While the White House has broken all records in appointing originalist judges, its defense team has adopted a non-originalist approach that could have made Justice William Brennan chuckle . . .

. . . Democrats, for example, could have found more ammunition in the Founders’ understanding of the question of abuse of the power over foreign affairs. President Trump’s defenders have argued that Congress cannot impeach a president for the exercise of a power constitutionally assigned to the executive, and everyone agrees that the president is the “sole organ” of the nation’s diplomacy, as Chief Justice John Marshall once put it. But if the Democrats had done some historical research themselves, they would have discovered discrete moments during the ratification battle when presidential abuse of the foreign-affairs power arose . . .

. . . Ultimately the best argument in the president’s defense from the Framing comes from the importance of the political process . . . Federalists argued that House impeachment would impose enormous political pressures on senators to try a president in good faith. But even if the Senate failed in its duty, the people would still have their say: By rejecting a president’s campaign for reelection, the people would render their own verdict . . .

[Cyber Liberty]

My understanding is, the Rats and Nevers will declare any Trump victory in November illegitimate, as they did in 2016, to much holier-than-thou approval from the usual quarters.  If the Rats retain the House, a Permanent Select Committee for Impeachment will be seated, and it will be never ending as new Articles will be sent to the Senate often. 

If they win the Senate, the march to more Constitutional minded Judges will be halted.  New trade agreements will also cease, in order to crash the economy so the voters won't be foolish enough to elect another Republican President.

The above mentioned Partisans of both parties will dig in to ensure another wasted four years, to thunderous applause.  The Trump War will continue, with much rejoicing.  Orange Man Bad.

[EasyAce]

If the Rats retain the House, a Permanent Select Committee for Impeachment will be seated, and it will be never ending as new Articles will be sent to the Senate often.

@Cyber Liberty

Think of it this way---on the assumption that they could or would form such a permanent select committee, they'd keep the government so tied up, in theory, that the government couldn't do all that much more mischief to us! In which case, let them bore, annoy, and strangle each other to death, the lot of them, from President Tweety to the Mitching Hour to Nancy Pelousy on down. There's no obligation upon us to watch, other than for periodic and perverse amusement.

And who knows. We might get lucky enough otherwise. There might actually come someone who's willing to run on freedom. On individual rights and responsibilities. On beginning the overdue dismantling of the improperly-consecrated State (whose business is poking its nose into every last drop of our business whether it's competent or Constitutionally sanctioned to do so) on behalf of the overdue restoration and re-consecration of properly-construed government. (Whose sole legitimate business---other than protecting and defending us from enemies actual and provably iminent from abroad and predators at home [real predators, not mere vicemongers]---is staying the hell out of your business, my business, everyone's business, until or unless one would obstruct or abrogate another's equivalent rights.)

Well, we can dream, can't we?

Once upon a time Americans dreamed. And made the dreams happen. Today's America, you dream of building a better mouse trap and then have the audacity to build one . . . and the cats gang up on you. And not just the cats in the government zoo, either.

We never needed to make America great again. We only needed to let America be America again.

[Cyber Liberty]

@Cyber Liberty

Think of it this way---on the assumption that they could or would form such a permanent select committee, they'd keep the government so tied up, in theory, that the government couldn't do all that much more mischief to us! In which case, let them bore, annoy, and strangle each other to death, the lot of them, from President Tweety to the Mitching Hour to Nancy Pelousy on down. There's no obligation upon us to watch, other than for periodic and perverse amusement.

And who knows. We might get lucky enough otherwise. There might actually come someone who's willing to run on freedom. On individual rights and responsibilities. On beginning the overdue dismantling of the improperly-consecrated State (whose business is poking its nose into every last drop of our business whether it's competent or Constitutionally sanctioned to do so) on behalf of the overdue restoration and re-consecration of properly-construed government. (Whose sole legitimate business---other than protecting and defending us from enemies actual and provably iminent from abroad and predators at home [real predators, not mere vicemongers]---is staying the hell out of your business, my business, everyone's business, until or unless one would obstruct or abrogate another's equivalent rights.)

Well, we can dream, can't we?

Once upon a time Americans dreamed. And made the dreams happen. Today's America, you dream of building a better mouse trap and then have the audacity to build one . . . and the cats gang up on you. And not just the cats in the government zoo, either.

We never needed to make America great again. We only needed to let America be America again.

The unstated corollary is we must never allow an outsider like Trump to be elected again.  Only professional pols need apply, because smooth talking liars are better for the country than crude talking Bad Orange People. 

This attempt to take the country away from the corruptocrats is over, killed at the hands of the purists.  It was a nice Republic, while it lasted.