Impeachment May Not Suffice

With more and more Democrats in the House of Representatives publicly favoring impeachment (as of this date, 132; see the complete list), I began to wonder what would happen if impeachment (the legislative analog to indictment) succeeded.  The Constitution is quite clear.  Only the House has the power to impeach.  But that's as far as the power goes.

The House can indict, but not bring to trial.  That's the job of the Senate.  And the Senate currently is under Republican control, and under the management of the self-styled Grim Reaper, Mitch McConnell.   To make a long story short (and unfortunately, a little scary) nothing in the Constitution requires the Senate to hold a trial for an impeached President.  While it would be an extraordinary departure from accepted practice, the Senate could simply refuse to take up the case the House had passed to them.

Emergency Powers

Before leaving yesterday for the G7 meeting in France, Donald Trump tweeted (what else?) that he'd ordered American companies to leave China.  He claimed the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act gave him the authority to do so.

As is so often the case with Mr. Trump's statements, that's not correct.  The law in question is not (much to Trump's dismay, no doubt) blanket authorization for tightening the economic screws on some entity or nation who have ticked off the President.  Rather, the law is quite specific.  Paraphrasing it, the President may regulate international commerce only after declaring a national emergency in response to any unusual and extraordinary threat to the United States which has its source in whole or substantial part outside our country.

To date, the law has been used in situations like:

• the 1979 Iran hostage crisis, after which the United States seized Iranian property in the U. S.
• the 1995,seizure of all U. S. property of Colombian narcotics dealers
• the 2006 seizure of all U. S. held property of officials of the government of Democratic Republic of Congo, because of violence and atrocities on the part of that government

A trade war with China (or any other nation) doesn't rise to the level of unusual and extraordinary threat.  Neither does it allow a President to act as an autocrat.

Once again, the Petulant Child in Chief got it wrong, but probably enjoyed the rush of hereby ordering ...

Kiss The Very Strong Economy Goodbye

I know little about economics - even less than Donald Trump.  But I know enough to trust economic indicators such as those used by the Federal Reserve .  What's more,having had the good fortune of being raised in a polyglot, working class environment, and having taught in more than one multi-ethnic institution, I know that people, however unacquainted they might be with the specifics of any situation, nonetheless maintain a healthy skepticism regarding that situation.  Or, as some might put it, don't connerie me.

View these of today's economic events through a filter like that just described.

1. Day begins with China slapping several billion dollars' additional tariffs on the United States
2. Donald Trump responds by Tweet (what else?) that he hereby ordered  [ American businesses ]  to immediately start looking for an alternative to China, including bringing our companies HOME and making your products in the USA (his caps and phrasing, not mine)
3. Donald Trump compares China to Jay Powell, whom he appointed as Chairman of the Federal Reserve, and designates each an enemy of the U. S.

Can we blame the DOW for freaking out a couple of hours ago?

Stephen Miller's War on Asylum

Reports surfaced yesterday that over forty thousand (40,000) requests to offices in Massachusetts and New Jersey for asylum, that is, legal immigration to, the United States, have been put on indefinite hold.  When  Stephen Miller, Donald Trump's immigration czar, drops a bomb like this, I think of Grandfather Joseph.

According to family legend - and it may indeed be no more than legend - Grandpa Joe fled what is now the westernmost part of Ukraine, but what was then, in the early 1900s,  Zemplinska Province in Austria - Hungary.  He ran because he didn't want to be cashiered into Franz Joseph's World War I army.  If Mr. Miller, or his partner-in-insensitivity Ken Cuccinelli, had been around, they would have gone well beyond the restrictive immigration laws of the early 20th Century to ensure that Grandpa Joseph:

An early 20t Century passenger ship

never got off a boat like this

never was given asylum

never got to Braddock

never built a family and a small business

and never contributed to the United States.

He's Not The Chosen One

I've often referred to myself as a long-lapsed Catholic.  True enough, but I never meant it to imply any lack of respect for the historical Jesus.  Whatever others believe, I consider him one of a very small handful of religious geniuses in human history.  Setting aside the question of divinity, which to me is moot, I'd put Jesus in the same category as the Buddha and the Prophet Mohamed,   But there's no way in heaven or on earth that Donald Trump belongs in that circle.

Trump's remarks today, particularly the one in which he referred to himself as the Chosen One, are simply outrageous.  They show a much greater lack of respect for Jesus than do my views.

Again I urge you - read Eugene Robinson's evaluation of the current occupant of the Oval Office.  Then contact your Senators and Representatives and demand implementation of the 25th Amendment.

He's Right

I very much admire the work of Eugene Robinson, a columnist, editor, and writer for the Washington Post.  This most recent example shows why I hold him and that work in such high regard.

I agree too with this assessment:

The astonishing thing is that the president of the United States is, let's face it, raving like a lunatic — and everyone just shrugs.

Please - read the Robinson piece;.

Commissioner O'Neill

The Police Commissioner for New York City could serve as a role model for Donald Trump and Trump's minions.  In a press appearance today regarding the firing of Daniel Pantaleo, the officer responsible for the death of Eric Garner in 2014, Commissioner O'Neill spoke with clarity, and addressed the questions at hand with honesty and fairness. 

No attempt to skirt the issues involved; no mention of "good people on both sides".

Oh Pleez Oh Pleez

The Cook Political Report and Sabato's Crystal Ball  are paragons of political prognostication.  Recently, they moved four 2020 Senate races from Leans Republican to Toss-Up..  From their thoughts to God's ears; the seats in question are all held by Republicans.  

Should Democrats flip these seats, we'd have an unbeatable means of circumventing the Vice President's ability to break ties in Senate votes.  AKA we'd control both housed of Congress.

Been nice knowin' ya, Mitch ...

The China Tariff Syndrome

Reports circulated today that could prove dispositive for the 2020 Presidential election.

Farmers in Iowas have raised concerns about Trump China / trade policy.  They've got reason to be worried.  For the past few months and since the launch of the Trump tariffs against China, that nation has purchased $1.3 billion less in agricultural products from us.

Way to make a deal, Donald ...