1/
Trump's defense appears to be⤵️ Trump wasn't wrong. What's wrong is the law. Trump can do was he pleases with foreign policy.
This effectively obliterates checks and balances and reduces Congress to carrying out the president's commands.
Trump's defense appears to be⤵️ Trump wasn't wrong. What's wrong is the law. Trump can do was he pleases with foreign policy.
This effectively obliterates checks and balances and reduces Congress to carrying out the president's commands.
2/ Two things for @SenateGOP to keep in mind:
💠This applies to future presidents as well. So unless the GOP intends to establish a monarchy or Putin-style presidency (and there's indication that the far right wing wants this) a Democratic president will step in with vast power.
💠This applies to future presidents as well. So unless the GOP intends to establish a monarchy or Putin-style presidency (and there's indication that the far right wing wants this) a Democratic president will step in with vast power.
@SenateGOP 3/ A democratic president elected in 2020 will have unprecedented powers under such a finding to rapidly undo everything the GOP has done. That means moving quickly to battle climate change, fix the tax code, regulate elections so that they comply with common sense security.
@SenateGOP 4/ 💠The next thing to remember is it's simply wrong.
The president doesn't have absolute power over foreign policy. See the attached from one of the impeachment docs⤵️
There've been hints for a while that Trump's defense may be, "Yes I did it, and there was nothing wrong."
The president doesn't have absolute power over foreign policy. See the attached from one of the impeachment docs⤵️
There've been hints for a while that Trump's defense may be, "Yes I did it, and there was nothing wrong."
@SenateGOP 5/ In November, I wrote this NBC Op Ed ⤵️ when I noticed that Trump didn't appear to be denying the underlying facts.
Trump seemed to believe that he was entitled to direct foreign policy according to his whims and for his own benefit.
nbcnews.com/think/opinion/…
Trump seemed to believe that he was entitled to direct foreign policy according to his whims and for his own benefit.
nbcnews.com/think/opinion/…
@SenateGOP 6/ I quoted Hungarian scholar Bálint Magyar who described "mafia states" arising in the former Soviet Union.
They operate exactly this way: The ruler takes over the nation's industries and business and eventually owns the country. A new form of oligarchy.
nbcnews.com/think/opinion/…
They operate exactly this way: The ruler takes over the nation's industries and business and eventually owns the country. A new form of oligarchy.
nbcnews.com/think/opinion/…
@SenateGOP 7/ Many members of the @SenateGOP are perfectly willing to make a finding that Trump is entitled to conduct foreign policy for his own personal benefit.
They prefer Putin-style oligarchy to a true liberal democracy.
See⤵️
They prefer Putin-style oligarchy to a true liberal democracy.
See⤵️
@SenateGOP 8/ There's a theory on Twitter that @LindseyGrahamSC, @SenTedCruz, @RandPaul and others fall in line because they are compromised.
According to this theory, they are backing Trump's quest to turn the US into the United States of Russia because they are blackmailed.
According to this theory, they are backing Trump's quest to turn the US into the United States of Russia because they are blackmailed.
@SenateGOP @LindseyGrahamSC @SenTedCruz @RandPaul 9/ I argue that @RandPaul, @senatemajldr and the Republican senators who fall in line back Trump's quest to turn the US into the United States of Russia do so because they prefer Putin to liberal democracy.
@SenateGOP @LindseyGrahamSC @SenTedCruz @RandPaul @senatemajldr 10/ Good point.
When we talk about white supremacy and a Putin-style oligarchy, it's about money because it is about a select group of white men [Trump and pals] in possession of the nation's wealth as well as holding power.
Here's the thing . . .
When we talk about white supremacy and a Putin-style oligarchy, it's about money because it is about a select group of white men [Trump and pals] in possession of the nation's wealth as well as holding power.
Here's the thing . . .
@SenateGOP @LindseyGrahamSC @SenTedCruz @RandPaul @senatemajldr 11/ There's a direct line between the patriarchal theories of Confederacy and Putin-style oligarchy.
We're still fighting the Civil War.
Ironically enough, we come to this moment partly because of the first impeachment of Andrew Johnson.
We're still fighting the Civil War.
Ironically enough, we come to this moment partly because of the first impeachment of Andrew Johnson.
@SenateGOP @LindseyGrahamSC @SenTedCruz @RandPaul @senatemajldr 12/ Without going into the details of that impeachment, basically not removing Johnson allowed Johnson to empower the former Confederacy and allow them to entrench.
They didn't win the war, so they got themselves back into power. . .
They didn't win the war, so they got themselves back into power. . .
@SenateGOP @LindseyGrahamSC @SenTedCruz @RandPaul @senatemajldr 13/ A majority of Confederate-sympathizing Supreme Court justices, in 1896, found that segregation didn't violate the 14th Amendment (the amendment added after the Civil War to give civil rights to blacks)
This gave us Jim Crow. . .
oyez.org/cases/1850-190…
This gave us Jim Crow. . .
oyez.org/cases/1850-190…
@SenateGOP @LindseyGrahamSC @SenTedCruz @RandPaul @senatemajldr 14/ . . .and reestablished white dominance.
In 1954, the Supreme Court reversed the ruling in Plessy.
We're still riding the backlash from that decision.
And here we are. Still fighting the Civil War.
(People aren;t seeing all the tweets, so I'll put the thread on my blog)
In 1954, the Supreme Court reversed the ruling in Plessy.
We're still riding the backlash from that decision.
And here we are. Still fighting the Civil War.
(People aren;t seeing all the tweets, so I'll put the thread on my blog)
@SenateGOP @LindseyGrahamSC @SenTedCruz @RandPaul @senatemajldr It appears that the only Tweet some people are not seeing is #9, so here it is as a screenshot.
@SenateGOP @LindseyGrahamSC @SenTedCruz @RandPaul @senatemajldr The office of the presidency has been growing stronger since the age of Andrew Jackson when Jackson began using presidential veto as a way to nix laws he didn't like.
Previously the idea was that Congress makes laws, and the president only objects . . .
Previously the idea was that Congress makes laws, and the president only objects . . .
@SenateGOP @LindseyGrahamSC @SenTedCruz @RandPaul @senatemajldr . . . if the law is, in his view, unconstitutional.
Using the veto powers this way moved the seat of power from Congress to the White House.
Using the veto powers this way moved the seat of power from Congress to the White House.
@SenateGOP @LindseyGrahamSC @SenTedCruz @RandPaul @senatemajldr I see more ordinary Americans engaged and active in politics than I've ever seen in my lifetime.
Democratic-supporting organizations are springing up.
The 2018 and 2019 election results (Democratic wins) shows people pushing back. . .
Democratic-supporting organizations are springing up.
The 2018 and 2019 election results (Democratic wins) shows people pushing back. . .
@SenateGOP @LindseyGrahamSC @SenTedCruz @RandPaul @senatemajldr . . . in enormous numbers.
The impeachment, the Whistleblower, the members of the administration willing to testify against Trump, the many court rulings against Trump show the institutions are holding up.
If you want to know what you can do to strengthen our institutions. . .
The impeachment, the Whistleblower, the members of the administration willing to testify against Trump, the many court rulings against Trump show the institutions are holding up.
If you want to know what you can do to strengthen our institutions. . .
@SenateGOP @LindseyGrahamSC @SenTedCruz @RandPaul @senatemajldr . . . see my list. There's plenty for everyone.
Democracy means "rule by the people."
That means us.
I practice what I preach. I am now a proud (and active) member of the Voter Protection Committee in Georgia. I've already put in dozens of hours.
terikanefield-blog.com/things-to-do/
Democracy means "rule by the people."
That means us.
I practice what I preach. I am now a proud (and active) member of the Voter Protection Committee in Georgia. I've already put in dozens of hours.
terikanefield-blog.com/things-to-do/
@SenateGOP @LindseyGrahamSC @SenTedCruz @RandPaul @senatemajldr This is why I assume that this particular Tweet— combined with the announcement that Dershowitz (lover of the "unitary executive theory") and Kenneth Starr will be on Trump's legal team—means that the tweet indicates the direction of his defense.
@SenateGOP @LindseyGrahamSC @SenTedCruz @RandPaul @senatemajldr My threads are also blog posts. This one is here: terikanefield-blog.com/still-fighting…
