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Eyeball_Kid

(7,410 posts)
Mon Jan 20, 2020, 04:20 PM Jan 2020

The Forbidden Logic. No one wants to speak the unspeakable on the eve of the Trial. [View all]

What will be lost, legally and logically, by a Senate Acquittal?

What precedents will be set? What are the destructive actions that will be set in motion?

1. Separation of Powers, a Constitutional fundamental, will be dissolved. There will no longer be co-equal branches of government. The Senate will have approved of actions by Trump that express a "unitary executive", devoid of checks and balances. This will be a permanent precedent that the Senate will establish.

2. Congressional oversight, an Article 1 governmental underpinning, will be dissolved. The executive branch will no longer be accountable to Congress. It can ignore subpoenas, requests for records and documents, and requests for executive branch officials to appear before Congress.

3. The Article 1 clause regarding impeachment itself will be dissolved if the Senate votes to acquit. It is the Senate majority argument that the most egregious of violations of a president's oath of office (as stated in the Founders' arguments for impeachment) can be dismissed as not serious enough for removal from office. Thus, there will be NO threshold to cross that activates removal from office.

4. With all of the barriers to impeachment and removal dissolved, the president can feel unencumbered by Constitutional limitations on power. Just as Trump is currently in the hunt for foreign propaganda to influence the coming election, he'll continue to do so all the way to November, knowing that there is no institution or government entity that can stop him from cheating in any way he can to win the next election. That's because he'll know that he can NEVER be removed from office, and he can manipulate the campaign-- and the election data, in any way he sees fit.

5. With a nullified and powerless Constitution being shredded daily, the power vacuum will be filled by Trump, who will then have the option to turn this democratic republic into a dictatorship. All of the elements for a dictatorship will be in place AFTER THE ACQUITTAL.

6. Remember the Patriot Act? We'd BETTER remember the Patriot Act, because it gives Trump the power to manufacture a national security emergency in order to cancel the election. It will be within his power to do so. If you're thinking that the "manufacturing" part will make it invalid, think again. By the time Congress gets the news, it will already be too late. A dictator doesn't have to wait for approval. Besides, this Acquittal will already have rendered Congressional oversight to be impotent.

Are we following the Bouncing Ball yet?

For those who minimize the logical consequences of an Acquittal, I have a comment: the Trump Party is well aware of these logical consequences. They all support the unitary executive assertions that AG Barr loves. They all support a "permanent Republican majority" goal, set in motion by Newt Gingrich and Tom DeLay in the 1980s, which includes gerrymandering, manipulating voting machines, changing voting data in servers, and radio/TV markets saturated with right wing propaganda. And now, Trump will be given explicit permission to pull in propaganda efforts by FOREIGN GOVERNMENTS, unhindered by Congress or any other entity.

Why is this NOT part of the general discussion regarding impeachment and removal? Where are the legal scholars/celebrities who are on every news program, warning the viewers and anyone else of the logical and legal consequences of an acquittal? The most consequential decision in US History is about to be made, and the entire Fourth Estate, AND the Democratic Party, are tragically silent.

For those who are reluctant to call out the real and historic crisis that is unfolding RIGHT NOW, fearing that it might panic the population: IT IS TIME TO PANIC. It will be too late after the Acquittal.

When the Senate acquits, the Constitution dies.

-- As a DU member, I have posted similar theses many times over the past several weeks, but I've generally used DU to post comments in reaction to a thread. Now, it's time for more readers to take a look.

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I agree with that. Newest Reality Jan 2020 #1
And thanks for the Bob Dobbs avatar. It's always fun to revisit the Church of the Subgenius. n/t Eyeball_Kid Jan 2020 #2
Ah! Newest Reality Jan 2020 #4
I have a Residents tee shirt that I wore yesterday. Big eyeball on top of a tuxedo... Eyeball_Kid Jan 2020 #16
Eye see! Newest Reality Jan 2020 #17
It's on "Mule Variations", 1999. I think it got a Grammy. n/t Eyeball_Kid Jan 2020 #52
Yes, "Swastikas on Parade" from "Third Reich 'n' Roll" keeps running through my twisted mind. Marty Marzipan Jan 2020 #40
look to the 0.1% Hermit-The-Prog Jan 2020 #6
Yes, he is acting. BigmanPigman Jan 2020 #9
I am duly panicked. BKDem Jan 2020 #3
Good! Newest Reality Jan 2020 #27
+1 58Sunliner Jan 2020 #66
Thank you, NR BKDem Jan 2020 #73
I'm like you. Pacifist Patriot Jan 2020 #81
My senators will vote for whatever Bettie Jan 2020 #90
The impeachment process is not bound by legal precedents Fiendish Thingy Jan 2020 #5
that could happen if we ever get back to honest elections rurallib Jan 2020 #18
ditto that. No need for elections ayt all if one "party" controls the machinery. erronis Jan 2020 #25
I thought of your "exception" while writing the post, Eyeball_Kid Jan 2020 #22
I agree with all you said in the OP pangaia Jan 2020 #47
Thank you shanti Jan 2020 #59
You are to be commended for allowing yourself the clear insights you have communicated well here, triron Jan 2020 #92
I have repeatedly mentioned Miguelito Loveless Jan 2020 #7
I tend to agree. gordianot Jan 2020 #10
I'm reminded of the WWII stories... Eyeball_Kid Jan 2020 #24
I see it every day Miguelito Loveless Jan 2020 #87
Who in the world would deride you for KNOWING the truth?? pangaia Jan 2020 #49
My comments have been described Miguelito Loveless Jan 2020 #86
I don't know what the precise mechanisms will be... Pacifist Patriot Jan 2020 #82
The House speaker has said many times lately that the Senate cannot undo impeachment yaesu Jan 2020 #8
Trump isn't going to removed from office, Eyeball_Kid Jan 2020 #26
Is the Constitution burning? bucolic_frolic Jan 2020 #11
It will be the American crossing of the Rubicon. wnylib Jan 2020 #12
Wow this got me really stressed out. nt UniteFightBack Jan 2020 #13
We all should be stressed out. Eyeball_Kid Jan 2020 #28
Nope...I've been stressed, but this post really whipped me up. nt UniteFightBack Jan 2020 #54
Do you mean you haven't figured this out already? pangaia Jan 2020 #51
It's called venting. And there is still hope. November 2020 is it, the last one. nt UniteFightBack Jan 2020 #53
They will have saved us from the dreaded right to vote in perpetuity. lunatica Jan 2020 #14
The republicans are definitely codifying lawlessness for themselves rainin Jan 2020 #15
K&R orangecrush Jan 2020 #19
It's the only job he has ever done well. Pepsidog Jan 2020 #21
It's working very well for him too shanti Jan 2020 #60
Great post Kid. Pepsidog Jan 2020 #20
Thank you. n/t Eyeball_Kid Jan 2020 #29
Excellent essay, thank you Kid saidsimplesimon Jan 2020 #23
Thank you, well said. wendyb-NC Jan 2020 #30
K&R smirkymonkey Jan 2020 #31
I'm desperate, so pray daily now that he will be removed, along with the rest of the rot. lark Jan 2020 #32
pray? pangaia Jan 2020 #55
Maybe I'm wrong, but think he needs someone to lead him. lark Jan 2020 #79
trump is a tool.. and oh boy is he a good one... pangaia Jan 2020 #89
wondering, and do the people have a voice Dan Jan 2020 #33
K&R Normalcy bias. Kurt V. Jan 2020 #34
Let's not forget that Trump's flunkies (the real 'Dark State') were... LudwigPastorius Jan 2020 #35
You missed a few Eyeball, gab13by13 Jan 2020 #36
To me, what you wrote here is the most scary part... Perseus Jan 2020 #39
When I saw the turnover in late summer, it scared the crap out of me. Pacifist Patriot Jan 2020 #83
Rats. I watched some of Wallace's show, but got distracted and must have missed what you saw. Eyeball_Kid Jan 2020 #50
"Who is going to remove him from office?" right. pangaia Jan 2020 #56
Handmaid's Tale without the fancy uniforms. MerryBlooms Jan 2020 #71
What part of the Patriot Act sarisataka Jan 2020 #37
Very good, but we can always hope that we have an honest military that will disallow Perseus Jan 2020 #38
This message was self-deleted by its author geralmar Jan 2020 #42
More good than bad doesn;lt mean anything in a case like this.... pangaia Jan 2020 #57
A REAL Banana Republic. . . BigDemVoter Jan 2020 #41
Fascist dictatorship begins. ancianita Jan 2020 #43
I have sent this to my Republican Senator challenging his sense of responsibility. TryLogic Jan 2020 #44
AND IF HE WASN"T IMPEACHED..... Mustellus Jan 2020 #45
I am really worried burrowowl Jan 2020 #46
IMO, if you are worried, you're thinking and your head's in the right place. Eyeball_Kid Jan 2020 #48
THAT is what gets me NO PROTESTS !! Nobody seems to have any idea pangaia Jan 2020 #58
Moderate Democratic leadership would likely frown on PufPuf23 Jan 2020 #69
Absolutely G_j Jan 2020 #61
You are spot on. However, ... jimlup Jan 2020 #62
This needs posting elsewhere, as well. Grasswire2 Jan 2020 #63
K&R Cetacea Jan 2020 #64
Scary. Thanks for posting. 58Sunliner Jan 2020 #65
I agree with you kid I_UndergroundPanther Jan 2020 #67
Given all of the above, why should I not wish for Operation Valkyrie muntrv Jan 2020 #68
Yep. triron Jan 2020 #93
Do you know what scares me the most? Bettie Jan 2020 #70
Thank you for this sobering post. I find it difficult to be optimistic about the future but know i c-rational Jan 2020 #72
Just remember one thing Kaiserguy Jan 2020 #74
What disturbs me is that this does not seem to concern many Americans. Nitram Jan 2020 #75
2 can play that game. larwdem Jan 2020 #76
Well, it sounds like an acquittal seems to be a foregone conclusion. Stonepounder Jan 2020 #77
Kicked and bookmarked CanonRay Jan 2020 #78
This is precisely why I have not had a decent night's sleep in months. Pacifist Patriot Jan 2020 #80
I think your assessment is spot on. warmfeet Jan 2020 #84
The radical polarization moondust Jan 2020 #85
If this happens, the country will split up again. greymattermom Jan 2020 #88
Totally and absolutely agree with your assessment. triron Jan 2020 #91
Everyone in the U. S. needs to read this. triron Jan 2020 #94
Let's not get overly dramatic Shoonra Jan 2020 #95
Wake up man! You are being lulled. triron Jan 2020 #96
Keep this one out front. triron Jan 2020 #97
kick for visibility triron Jan 2020 #98
Please keep alert. triron Jan 2020 #99
kick for visibility triron Jan 2020 #100
We have too many on our side who suffer from the American exceptionalism, "It can't happen here." CrispyQ Jan 2020 #101
Yes I still hear it far too much as well. The USA is about to become a theocracy (imminently). triron Jan 2020 #105
Very close. triron Jan 2020 #112
My fear is we may not have an election C_U_L8R Jan 2020 #102
Republicans are fine with all this because... Kablooie Jan 2020 #103
this is so incredibly worrisome LymphocyteLover Jan 2020 #104
Where does the patriot act allow treestar Jan 2020 #106
Trump doesn't need a legal way to do it. triron Jan 2020 #107
Someone, Please, Get This Post to Chairman Schiff! The_Counsel Jan 2020 #108
2nd that! triron Jan 2020 #109
Kicking for visibility Efilroft Sul Jan 2020 #110
K&R for visibility. crickets Jan 2020 #111
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