Thread by @kurteichenwald

1. Again, drop issue of impeachment. @SpeakerPelosi is right that, for now, votes aren't there.

But @TheDemocrats have no excuse for their complicity in aiding Trump Admini in rank violations of the law. Their weak, impotent "stern letter" approach is undermining democracy...

@SpeakerPelosi @TheDemocrats 2...this began when @TheDemocrats all but announced that they were too scared to use their authority in the face of unquestionable lawbreaking by Administration officials. Who is at fault? It begins with...

@RepRichardNeal. In May, when Treas Sec @stevenmnuchin1 &....

@SpeakerPelosi @TheDemocrats @RepRichardNeal @stevenmnuchin1 3...IRS chief Rettig refused to turn over Trump's taxes on demand from House Ways and Means Committee. The law here is quite blunt: Mnuchin and Rettig had to turn it over under 26 U.S. Code § 6103. Here is the statute; the relevant section is attached. law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/26…

@SpeakerPelosi @TheDemocrats @RepRichardNeal @stevenmnuchin1 4...the SOLE power that Mnuchin and Rettig had was to invoke - on behalf of Trump - that the tax returns be reviewed in closed session. But they were, without doubt, obligated to turn it over.

They refused, invoking a made-up standard of "legislative purpose."....

@SpeakerPelosi @TheDemocrats @RepRichardNeal @stevenmnuchin1 5...so the committee subpoenaed Mnuchin. And again, he refused, defying the subpoena.

ANYONE in the @HouseDemocrats should have known that the ONLY way this would not escalate into an all-out refusal of oversight was to invoke inherent contempt. In other words....

@SpeakerPelosi @TheDemocrats @RepRichardNeal @stevenmnuchin1 @HouseDemocrats 6...@RepRichardNeal should have introduced a motion declaring Mnuchin and Rettig in violation of the law for failure to follow the obligations of 26 U.S. Code § 6103, and for refusing to abide by a subpoena. Then, if it passed, the men would be arrested and tried in the House...

@SpeakerPelosi @TheDemocrats @RepRichardNeal @stevenmnuchin1 @HouseDemocrats 7...what did the @HouseDemocrats do instead. Held their breath. Sent out angry tweets. Appeared on cable news. Got really really mad. Weeks and weeks passed. Then - finally - they filed suit. In July. And that case will drag on and on and on.

This was the worst moment....

@SpeakerPelosi @TheDemocrats @RepRichardNeal @stevenmnuchin1 @HouseDemocrats 8...because it signaled to the Trump White House that the @HouseDemocrats were so weak, so flabby, so intellectually empty, that they were unwilling even to defend the legislative branch as a co-equal branch of government. Instead, they went running to 3d branch - the courts..

@SpeakerPelosi @TheDemocrats @RepRichardNeal @stevenmnuchin1 @HouseDemocrats 9...and said, "Please, please judiciary. Tell the mean old Executive branch that they have to abide by the laws that permit Congressional oversight."

In other words, they proved beyond doubt that they would do NOTHING in response to legal violations. And the floodgates opened..

@SpeakerPelosi @TheDemocrats @RepRichardNeal @stevenmnuchin1 @HouseDemocrats 10...now, when Congress demands a Trump cabinet officer testify, they just say "F-you!" and there is no testimony. When they send a subpoena, they say "D-you!" and there is no testimony. When there IS testimony, they make up nonexistent rights - general privilege...

@SpeakerPelosi @TheDemocrats @RepRichardNeal @stevenmnuchin1 @HouseDemocrats 11...executive privilege by people who don't work for the executive - and the @HouseDemocrats tweet and appear on cable and send stern letters. @CLewandowski_ knew he could just sneer and refuse to answer questions, and the dems would make fools out of themselves. Because they...

@SpeakerPelosi @TheDemocrats @RepRichardNeal @stevenmnuchin1 @HouseDemocrats @CLewandowski_ 12...too weak, too frightened, to invoke inherent contempt and arrest the guy. So, off he goes, chirping about what a bunch of wimps he was facing.

As could be expected, with the @HouseDemocrats showing NOTHING would make them defend their authority....

@SpeakerPelosi @TheDemocrats @RepRichardNeal @stevenmnuchin1 @HouseDemocrats @CLewandowski_ 13...the Trump Admin took this further than I could ever have imagined: They broke the law on the Intelligence Community Whistleblower Protection Act. So who is next responsible? So far, it's....

@RepAdamSchiff. He is saying "Im mad, we are going to go to court."....

@SpeakerPelosi @TheDemocrats @RepRichardNeal @stevenmnuchin1 @HouseDemocrats @CLewandowski_ @RepAdamSchiff 14...yes, once again, @HouseDemocrats refuse to use their own authority to compel testimony, and are going to run to the third branch of government to force the first branch to comply with the second. And guess what, Einsteins? - You HONESTLY think the "You and what Army?"...

@SpeakerPelosi @TheDemocrats @RepRichardNeal @stevenmnuchin1 @HouseDemocrats @CLewandowski_ @RepAdamSchiff 15...Administration is - even if you win - listen to the third branch when they are ignoring the second?

Worse, the inspector general of intelligence community has found this matter is "urgent." Do you know what "urgent" means, @RepAdamSchiff and @SpeakerPelosi? It doesnt....

@SpeakerPelosi @TheDemocrats @RepRichardNeal @stevenmnuchin1 @HouseDemocrats @CLewandowski_ @RepAdamSchiff 16...mean "Run to court and hope that, in a few months, someone somewhere let's us know what this urgent intel issue is." You think you know what it is. What if it's that Trump is taking bribes from the Saudis to bomb Iran? Or, perhaps, threaten a foreign nation to get them...

@SpeakerPelosi @TheDemocrats @RepRichardNeal @stevenmnuchin1 @HouseDemocrats @CLewandowski_ @RepAdamSchiff 17...to interfere with an election? And guess what, @HouseDemocrats? You have told the Trump Admin that they can violate the whistleblower law WITH IMPUNITY. Trump could be on the phone right now with Kim Jong Un, inviting him to hack our elections, and what whistleblower is....

@SpeakerPelosi @TheDemocrats @RepRichardNeal @stevenmnuchin1 @HouseDemocrats @CLewandowski_ @RepAdamSchiff 18...going to step forward to disclose this? Do people actually have to wreck their lives because you are so afraid for your jobs, @HouseDemocrats? No one will step forward because they know, if they do, @ODNIgov will just break the law again, and you will stamp your feet...

@SpeakerPelosi @TheDemocrats @RepRichardNeal @stevenmnuchin1 @HouseDemocrats @CLewandowski_ @RepAdamSchiff @ODNIgov 19...make ABSOLUTELY no mistake. The @HouseDemocrats has aided and abetted the Trump Administration in rampant lawbreaking to undermine Congressional oversight because of their cowardice and inability to recognize a Constitutional turning point. Nothing is off limits, because...

@SpeakerPelosi @TheDemocrats @RepRichardNeal @stevenmnuchin1 @HouseDemocrats @CLewandowski_ @RepAdamSchiff @ODNIgov 20...there is no second branch of government. All there is is a bunch of blue checks and guests on cable news, who huff and puff in impotence while refusing to stand up for the authority of a co-equal branch of government...

@SpeakerPelosi @TheDemocrats @RepRichardNeal @stevenmnuchin1 @HouseDemocrats @CLewandowski_ @RepAdamSchiff @ODNIgov 21...a failure that places our constitutional foundation at risk, regardless of if it's now or in the future. At this point, I wish it WAS a democratic administration who was the one engaged in all of this lawbreaking. Because there is absolutely no doubt that McConnell would...

@SpeakerPelosi @TheDemocrats @RepRichardNeal @stevenmnuchin1 @HouseDemocrats @CLewandowski_ @RepAdamSchiff @ODNIgov 22...invoke every power and authority he has, including locking people up. In that instance, partisan purposes would at least slap down a runaway executive.

So what should be done? STOP TALKING ABOUT IMPEACHMENT. Focus on widespread lawbreaking intended to impede oversight....

@SpeakerPelosi @TheDemocrats @RepRichardNeal @stevenmnuchin1 @HouseDemocrats @CLewandowski_ @RepAdamSchiff @ODNIgov 23...demand that @SpeakerPelosi and @RepAdamSchiff and @RepJerryNadler and @RepRichardNeal bring multiple #InherentContempt resolutions to the floor of the House. One naming @stevenmnuchin1, one Rittig, one Joseph Maguire @ODNIgov, one @CLewandowski_ ...

@SpeakerPelosi @TheDemocrats @RepRichardNeal @stevenmnuchin1 @HouseDemocrats @CLewandowski_ @RepAdamSchiff @ODNIgov @RepJerryNadler 24...you cannot bring one on Barr yet, because the confrontations with him are arguable legal issues. The rest of these are not. They are contempt. Then arrest all of the people I named and try them on the floor of the House....

@SpeakerPelosi @TheDemocrats @RepRichardNeal @stevenmnuchin1 @HouseDemocrats @CLewandowski_ @RepAdamSchiff @ODNIgov @RepJerryNadler 25...all you would need is one of them arrested. Then the gates would come breaking down. These are soft, comfy people. They won't enjoy jail, particularly when there is no defense.

Or stand back and wait for the next oversight law that will be broken by the executive branch...

@SpeakerPelosi @TheDemocrats @RepRichardNeal @stevenmnuchin1 @HouseDemocrats @CLewandowski_ @RepAdamSchiff @ODNIgov @RepJerryNadler 26.. bottom line: @HouseDemocrats are unwilling to defend their authority, unwilling to act in strength, unwilling to say "We are a co-equal branch of government" and run instead to judiciary on the ridiculous idea that an executive that ignores one branch won't ignore another...

@SpeakerPelosi @TheDemocrats @RepRichardNeal @stevenmnuchin1 @HouseDemocrats @CLewandowski_ @RepAdamSchiff @ODNIgov @RepJerryNadler 27...and when the executive acts with impunity - such as, oh, shifting money appropriated for one purpose to another (oops - they already did that.) Or...shut down Congress....

@SpeakerPelosi @TheDemocrats @RepRichardNeal @stevenmnuchin1 @HouseDemocrats @CLewandowski_ @RepAdamSchiff @ODNIgov @RepJerryNadler 28...then @SpeakerPelosi @RepAdamSchiff @RepRichardNeal & @RepJerryNadler can go down in history as people too scared to save democracy against a lawless executive branch.

Seriously, @HouseDemocrats - What the hell did you run for office for if not to defend a nation of laws?