House Judiciary Committee

Results Of Tuesday’s Primaries Indicate The Upcoming Midterm Elections Favoring Democrats

The feeling is developing that Democrats are going to have an unexpected advantage in November’s Midterm Elections.

The strong support of Florida Democrats for Charlie Crist and for Val Demings portend, hopefully, difficult races for Governor Ron DeSantis and Senator Marco Rubio. It would seem that both races will be close, and the hope is that the Democratic nominees, the strongest possible nominees, have a good chance of victory, but it will not be easy in any sense.

DeSantis is acting more every day like an authoritarian tyrant, and there is pushback on his actions that centralize too much power in the governorship, and give us a hint of the horrors of this man, were he to run for and win the Presidency in 2024.

Rubio has been a lazy and unprincipled Senator, who did not even want to run for reelection in 2016, but did after his failed Presidential candidacy in that year. But his total obsequious nature toward Donald Trump makes him clearly a weak, indecisive figure, who has no concern about the danger to American democracy of the former President, whom he once condemned harshly.

In New York, moderates won out over “progressives” in a number of Congressional races, including Dan Goldman (who was engaged in the prosecution of Donald Trump in his first impeachment trial); Jerry Nadler, Chair of the House Judiciary Committee; and Sean Patrick Maloney, the Chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.

Also, in upstate New York, in a Congressional election to elect a person to finish a Congressional term of someone who resigned, seen as a battle over abortion rights, Pat Ryan, the Democratic nominee and strongly for abortion rights, defeated a Republican, and this is seen as another sign of the strong support of Democrats, Independents, and some moderate Republicans for abortion rights to be insured, following up on the Kansas state abortion vote in July!

Major Primary Day Today In Florida And New York

Today will decide who the Democratic nominee for Florida Governor will be against Republican Governor Ron DeSantis. Also, Val Demings, former Orlando Police Commissioner and Democratic Congresswoman from Central Florida, will formally be chosen to oppose Republican Senator Marco Rubio.

It will also decide in New York who will be forced to retire from the House of Representatives in a district that, due to New York losing a Congressional seat, pits two 30 year veterans–Carolyn Maloney, who is the Chair of the House Oversight and Reform Committee, and Jerry Nadler, who is the Chair of the House Judiciary Committee, which was directly engaged in the two impeachments of President Donald Trump in 2019 and 2021.

Ahead of the vote, it appears that Charlie Crist, former Florida Republican Governor, who became an Independent and then a Democrat, and has served in the House of Representatives since 2017, is favored over Florida Agriculture Commissioner, Nikki Friend, the only Democrat elected state wide in the past generation in Florida, for the challenge against Ron DeSantis. And the Demings-Rubio race will likely be close in November.

Also, in New York, Nadler is favored in polls to win the House seat, newly created, over Maloney.

It will be interesting to see the results of both the Florida and New York elections.

Supreme Court Once Again Stands Up To Presidential Assertion Of Executive Privilege, And Limits It!

The Supreme Court of the United States for the third time in 48 years has stood up to a President who asserted “Executive Privilege”, and was smacked down by a court including members appointed by the President who was involved in the Court case.

First, we had US V Nixon in July 1974, having to do with Richard Nixon and the Watergate tapes, which the Court unanimously, 8-0, ordered them handed over to the Watergate Special Prosecutor and the House Judiciary Committee. This led within weeks to the resignation of Richard Nixon. Associate Justice William Rehnquist recused himself from the case, appropriately, as he had worked earlier in the Nixon Justice Department, but the other three Nixon appointees, Chief Justice Warren Burger, and Associate Justices Harry Blackmun and Lewis Powell, joined the unanimous decision.

Next, we had Clinton V Jones, 1997, which involved the issue of whether Bill Clinton could be required to testify in a civil trial while in office, a case brought by Paula Jones against Governor Clinton for sexual harrassment. The Court unanimously, 9-0, including his two appointees, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Stephen Breyer, ruled that he had to give testimony, and this helped to lead to his impeachment in 1998. So there was no immunity from civil law litigation for acts done before taking office, and unrelated to the office.

And now, we have Trump V Thompson, a lawsuit brought by Donald Trump against the January 6 House Committee investigation of the January 6, 2021 Insurrection, in the name of Chairman Bennie Thompson. So documents to show the series of events leading to the Insurrection are now to be made available to the House committee, as it investigates the wrong doing of the 45th President. This is a major victory, and all three Trump Supreme Court nominees—Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett—voted with the majority 8-1, with only Clarence Thomas in oppostion.

This is a conflict of interest by Thomas, who should have recused himself, as William Rehnquist did in the Nixon case. Since Thomas’s wife was involved in the planning of the January 6 Insurrection, encouraging lawlessness, this should be grounds for removal of Clarence Thomas from the Supreme Court, highly unlikely, but would be appropriate!

The Horrors Of Donald Trump Keep Growing With New Revelations

The horrors of Donald Trump keep growing with new revelations, including:

Trump was on the brink in June 2020 of using the Insurrection Act of 1807, allowing for martial law.

Trump was on the brink of having COVID 19 patients sent to Guantanamo Bay Naval Base in Cuba.

Trump allies were involved in an attempt to run a Joe Biden campaign bus off the road in central Texas in late October.

Trump was investigating journalists through their emails and phone logs, who had criticized him, and had plans to prosecute them.

Trump wanted to prosecute Congressmen Adam Schiff and Eric Swalwell of California for their work on the House Judiciary Committee in investigating Trump.

Trump looked at the Justice Department as his private law firm and defender, not the independent department it is supposed to be.

Trump was nonchalant about the January 6 Capitol Insurrection, and was clearly enjoying mayhem, and did not take any action to end it for four hours, while Mike Pence and Nancy Pelosi were in danger, and realize they were the top two in the line of Presidential succession after Trump.

Many new books and revelations are coming out, and the Trump Organization, and potentially Trump and his children face the likelihood of indictment in New York City, New York State, Washington DC, and Georgia, on financial charges, and the promotion of the “Big Lie”, trying to change the election results that saw Joe Biden become President.

He is still promoting conspiracy theories, specifically in Arizona and Georgia, undermining belief that elections are being administered fairly, and trying to change the future election system in many states, undermining faith in American democracy!

Donald Trump In Free Fall After Disastrous Week

Donald Trump is clearly in free fall after a disastrous week.

The Supreme Court, including conservatives, and a Trump appointee, went against him on Gay and Transgender employment rights, and on the issue of Deferred Action For Childhood Arrivals (DACA), leading Trump to complain that the Supreme Court does not “like” him.

John Bolton publishing a book demonstrating that Trump has no interest in any policy, and just about reelection, infuriated Trump.

Mary Trump, his niece, is about to come out with a tell all about how horrible Trump is, even with his own father who gave him his start, once the elder Trump developed Alzheimers.

Donald Trump is bringing more attention to his own corrupt dealings in New York, by firing the US Attorney for the Southern District of New York, promoting a new investigation by the House Judiciary Committee.

All public opinion polls show Trump in a massive landslide, and that includes the Fox News Polls.

And finally, the disastrous Tulsa rally led to a very small crowd, only about one third full, but also increasing the likelihood that many of the attendees might get the COVID-19 virus and spread it to others.

Trump Reaction To Impeachment Monitors Andrew Johnson, Very Different Than Richard Nixon And Bill Clinton

As Donald Trump faces impeachment on Wednesday, one can monitor his behavior as being similar to Andrew Johnson, and very different from Richard Nixon and Bill Clinton.

Trump refuses to take responsibility for his behavior and actions, as was the case with Andrew Johnson in 1868.

Richard Nixon was intelligent enough to realize the game was up, and to resign in dignity, while Bill Clinton profusely apologized for his behavior.

Donald Trump’s behavior has been reprehensible his entire life, but finally, he is being held accountable, and his future obituary will include that he is the fourth person impeached by the House Judiciary Committee, and the third to be impeached by the House of Representatives, and put on trial before the US Senate.

Nothing he can do can escape that fate, no matter the result of the Senate trial!

It’s Official: Donald Trump Becomes 4th President To Have House Judiciary Committee Adopt Articles Of Impeachment

It is now official!

President Donald Trump has had two articles of impeachment adopted by the House Judiciary Committee, making him the 4th President to face such a situation!

Andrew Johnson in 1868; Richard Nixon in 1974; and Bill Clinton in 1998 preceded him.

Andrew Johnson was acquitted in 1868; Bill Clinton in 1999; and Richard Nixon resigned before the entire House of Representatives could vote to impeach him, which was a certainty, and therefore the US Senate did not conduct an impeachment trial in his case.

The impeachment trial will take place in January, with Chief Justice John Roberts presiding, as previously, Chief Justice Salmon P. Chase in 1868; and Chief Justice William Rehnquist did in 1999.

Bribery, Abuse Of Power, Obstruction Of Justice, Defiance Of Congress All Impeachment Appropriate Charges Against Donald Trump, Along With Violation Of Emoluments Clause In The Constitution

The view of this author and blogger, especially after watching the four constitutional law professors today in the House Judiciary Committee hearing, is that Donald Trump should be brought up on impeachment charges on five counts.

Bribery or Attempted Bribery involving the President of Ukraine to do Trump’s bidding, and interfere in the Presidential campaign of 2020.

Abuse of Power, shown in innumerable circumstances and cases.

Obstruction of Justice, regularly utilized.

Defiance of Congress, including refusal to allow testimony by executive branch officials.

Violation since Day One of Trump’s Presidency of the Emoluments Clause of the Constitution, barring any profit while serving as President.

So there should be five counts, with only one needed as enough to impeach, but with all justification, the case against Donald Trump is many times stronger than that against Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton, and at least triple what it was against Richard Nixon,

Historic Moment As First Impeachment Investigation In 21 Years Commences

After months and a few years of speculation about an impeachment investigation of President Donald Trump, the die has been cast, and is proceeding forward.

This is only the fourth such case in American history, preceded by Andrew Johnson in 1868; Richard Nixon in 1974; and Bill Clinton in 1998.

Johnson and Clinton were impeached, and then found not guilty by the US Senate, although Johnson was only saved by one vote short of the two thirds needed to convict and remove him.

Clinton had votes in favor of conviction of 55-45 and 50-50, way short of the 67 votes needed.

Nixon resigned after the House Judiciary Committee voted to impeach him on three counts, but before a vote of the whole House of Representatives, which was ready to impeach him. And Nixon had been informed by top leaders of his Republican Party that there was no way for him to gain 34 Republican Senate votes to avoid conviction and removal by a two thirds vote.

This is an historic moment in American history, and how it will exactly play itself out is uncertain, but at least, finally, the Democratic House of Representatives is taking action against the flagrant abuse of power by Donald Trump.

What Is Nancy Pelosi Waiting For? The Need For Impeachment For Historical Reasons!

The time has come for the impeachment inquiry regarding Donald Trump go move forward.

After the Special Counsel Robert Mueller testimony at the House Judiciary Committee and the House Intelligence Committee, there is no reason to wait anymore.

Some might say that Trump will not be convicted by the US Senate, so it is a waste of time.

But even though Trump will not be removed by the Senate, it is important to impeach for historical reasons, to make the record clear for all time that Donald Trump deserves to be impeached.

If Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton could be impeached for far less reasoning, then Donald Trump, with his multitude of sins as President, deserve to be impeached, and have his future obituary highlight the impeachment, as it has for Andrew Johnson and will do so for Bill Clinton in the future.

It is time for Nancy Pelosi to move ahead on impeachment.