Thread by @PaulHRosenberg

ICYMI: For 30+ years GOP's originalism claimed unique fidelity to Framers, cast Dems as lawless relativists. Now their defense v Trump impeachment turns all those claims into a dumpster fire. @espinsegall—author of *Originalism as Faith*—helps explain 1/10
salon.com/2020/01/25/so-…

Impeachment/Originalism Dumpster Fire!
Key false claims defending Trump:
* Impeachment requires a crime
* Impeachment overturns an election
* Abuse of power not impeachable
* Executive privilege trumps congressional oversight
ALL contradict GOP's beloved "orginalism" too!
2/10

Here's the problem in a nutshell, from @espinsegall: 3/10

In *Originalism As Faith* @espinsegall criticizes academic originalists. amazon.com/Originalism-as…
But they're not the ones responsible this time, he says. It's all those who pretend to believe them: 4/10

The anti-originalist argument that impeachment requires a crime is bolstered by misreading what "high Crimes and Misdemeanors" means—especially what it meant to the Framers: 5/10

The argument that impeachment overturns an election is "silly" @espinsegall said. And @steve_vladeck pointed out in October that the Framers—prior to the 12th Amendment—didn't see any problem with doing just that: 6/10
nytimes.com/2019/10/28/opi…

Then there's the claim of "executive privilege"—which ISN'T in the Constitution—being used to thwart congressional subpoenas—which ARE in the Constitution, via the "Necessary and Proper" clause: 7/10

In fact, Trump's defense takes a wrecking ball to the entire framework of Federalist Society: 8/10

While @espinsegall focused on politicians & pundits, I thought it went much farther: The GOP's evangelical base values originalism as Christian nationalist identity politics. @AndrewLSeidel—author of *The Founding Myth*—highlighted striking parallels: 9/10
amazon.com/Founding-Myth-…

So don't let the Trumpian blizzard of impeachment lies distract you from the central lie Republicans have been peddling for decades, the lie of originalism that Trump exploited as much as any other Republican. Read the whole story here: 10/10
salon.com/2020/01/25/so-…