Subtitle: How Democracies Die—and How They Are Saved
The Constitutional showdown this week is over who gets to decide whether the president is guilty of crimes: AG William Barr or Congress.
Since before Barr published his 4-page summary. . .
The Constitution is clear on how matters of Presidential guilt are decided.
Impeachment requires a majority of the House. If a president is impeached, a trial is held in the Senate.
Two thirds of the Senate is required for a finding of guilty and removal.
I envision this story ending one of 2 ways.
BTW, it turns out Pelosi was wise when she refused to comment on whether to talk impeachment until after the House sees the evidence.
definitions.uslegal.com/a/adversarial-…
The Constitution provides that the Chief Justice presides over the Senate trial.
Whether the Senate removes or not, truth and rule of law win: The people will see the evidence, and then they’ll get to make up their own minds in 2020.
This is possible, but unlikely. Will Mueller refuse to testify? Will each prosecutor refuse to testify? Will the Supreme Court step in and say that the House—which has oversight duties—isn’t entitled to the evidence?
So we can survive this.
Our chances are better if we don't give in to despair.
Here's the hard part: The only way to save democracy is through democratic means.
It’s easier to destroy a democracy than to protect one, because the destroyers cheat. Those saving the democracy have to play by the rules and norms. That’s harder.
From Chapter 9👇Saving Democracy: The first and easiest way to save US democracy is for Trump to “fail badly enough” so that “public disgust” motivates reforms that improve the quality of our democracy.
But now, while we teeter on the edge, what each person does matters.
Here’s what I learned in 2016 and 2018 as a volunteer lawyer monitoring voting and vote counting 👇
The battle to save democracy is Truth v. Cult of Leadership.
I just spent time at neighbors houses. They know the truth. People do get it. We have to help make sure of that.
Politics is partly about effective messaging.
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