July 26, 2018
Yesterday, Representatives Jim Jordan and Mark Meadows, of the oxymoronically named Freedom Caucus, introduced a resolution seeking to impeach Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, (Source: “House conservatives introduce resolution calling for the impeachment of Rod Rosenstein,” by Felicia Sonmez, Mike DeBonis and Devlin Barrett, The Washington Post, 7/25/18). Rosenstein’s alleged offense – failure to kowtow to Republican conservatives’ demands for access to all evidence gathered to date in the Russia probe,is hardly evidence of “treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors,” cited as the grounds for impeachment in Article II, Section 4 of our Constitution. The resolution is nothing more than a ham-handed and transparent attempt by a dimwitted duo to derail an investigation that is closing in on exposing the scope of the complicity of Trump and certain Republican officials in Russian efforts to subvert our democracy. If they have any shred of decency, Republican leaders in Congress will bury this resolution and refuse to dignify it with a hearing. We shouldn’t hold our breath.
A pair of federal court decisions Tuesday provide a welcome contrast to the Star Chamber shenanigans of the duplicitous morons in Congress. First, a federal judge in Maryland held that the Emoluments Clause lawsuit brought against Trump the by the Attorneys General of Maryland and the District of Columbia could proceed. This decision will allow discovery of revenue earned by the Trump Hotel in D.C. from foreign governments and officials, as well as Trump’s tax returns (Source: “Judge Allows Emoluments Clause Lawsuit Against President Trump to Proceed,” by Stephen Braun, AP, ABCNews.com, 7/25/18). As a reminder, Article I, Section 9 of the U.S. Constitution states that “any Person holding any Office of Profit or Trust under them [the United States] shall not, without the Consent of Congress, accept any present, Emolument, Office or Title, of any kind whatsoever frorm any King, Prince or foreign State.” This court decision is an important first strike against Trump’s ongoing abuse of his office by openly profiteering.
Also on Tuesday, Judge Mark Walker issued an opinion overturning the Florida Secretary of State decision prohibiting public college and university buildings from being used as early voting locations. Judge Walker excoriated the Secretary of State’s, stating that the prohibition revealed a “stark pattern of discrimination” against student voters based on their age, in violation of their rights under the 26th Amendment (Source: “‘Stark pattern of discrimination:’ Judge makes it easier for college students to vote,” by Susan Svrluga, The Washington Post, 7/25/18). Judge Walker compared the impact on young voters to restrictions on voting based on race, stating that the Secretary of State was treating students like second class citizens (ibid).
These two decisions represent evidence that the third co-equal branch of government, our federal judiciary, is acutely aware of its role as a check on the abuse of power of the other two branches. Their reliance on our Constitution to insist that no one (including the President) is above the law and that no state can infringe the voting rights of a discrete group of citizens is a ray of hope to those of us resisting this malign “regime” and a rebuke to those who would pervert our laws to serve the needs of a corrupt and rapacious minority. In other words, it’s the difference between a kangaroo court and a real one.
#Ruleoflaw
#ArticleIIIjudges
#BlockKavanaugh
#VOTE