Yale prof. @TimothyDSnyder explains what was wrong with Mulvaney’s press conference (the meat starts at 3:30)
app.frame.io/presentations/…
From Snyder: “Mulvaney’s comment ‘get over it’ is a very economical way of saying get over the facts. . .
From Snyder: Mulvaney was essentially saying that the President can do whatever he wants, and as long as he admits it, it’s okay.
app.frame.io/presentations/…
George Mason said: "Shall the man who has practiced corruption and by that means procured his appointment in the first instance, be suffered to escape punishment, by repeating his guilt?" (p. 44)
Sunstein concludes: “high crimes and misdemeanors are abuses or violations of what the public is entitled to expect.” (p.56)
Sending Giuliani and his henchmen to Ukraine to see if he could get an investigation going was impeachable.
If you have to pick a crime, extortion is probably better: The pressure was withholding aid.
For more on why impeachment should be framed as a violation of public trust, not a violation of . . .
I'm beginning to think people on TV enjoy saying "quid pro quo"
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If you ask a good question and I don’t respond, I may have missed it, or I've answered it recently. My blog has a search function and index.
Here is the first mention of quid pro quo⤵️ Conversation on 9-9-19.
In his statement to Congress . . .
Trump repeated: "no quid pro quo."
I read this and thought, "Methinks the gentleman doth protest too much."
I've called it the No Collusion Trap.
Trump spent 2 years shouting NO COLLUSION!
When there wasn't evidence beyond a reasonable doubt to prove all the elements of criminal conspiracy, he shouted COMPLETE EXONERATION.
The Supreme Court . . .
Silly to think that impeachment is about proving beyond a reasonable doubt the elements of a federal crime.
For more on why that's silly, see: