Another problem with Kavanaugh

[sathari]

Pursuant to rydra_wong's last post, for anyone who understandably finds it uncomfortable to talk about sexual assault with Republican senators' office staffers (or indeed Republicans and conservatives generally, or anyone in general), former Senator Russ Feingold, who served on the Judiciary Committee during Kavanaugh's confirmation to his present position, has laid out the, AHEM, discrepancies between Kavanaugh's testimony then and information that's come out in the current proceedings and the extent to which that's an issue..

(I suspect I'm not alone in wanting Mr. Feingold to make the rounds of the news shows with this.)

Comments

[rydra_wong]

IIRC according to Rachel Maddow he was the one candidate on that list who thought that sitting Presidents should not be indicted or "distracted" by investigations

OMG, what an AMAZING COINCIDENCE.

(I knew that was his view, not that he was the only one on the list to think that.)

The indictment and trial of a sitting President, moreover, would cripple the federal government, rendering it unable to function with credibility."

I saw an interesting argument that if the indictment and trial of a sitting President is deemed to make them incapable of discharging "the powers and duties of the office", then it would be an entirely legit use of the 25th Amendment to make the VP acting president for the duration of the trial.

In which case, indicting a president is not a problem (relative to having a criminal but unindicted president in office, anyway, especially if they're named as an unindicted co-conspirator).

[sathari]

That use of the 25th Amendment is a GREAT idea! I've actually thought that if Melania really wants to be a hero to her adoptive nation, she'd initiate divorce proceedings--- which by the same logic as "a sitting President can't be indicted because it would detract from his duties" would pretty much require that he take the 25th, as it were (since unlike with a criminal proceeding I don't think there's any legal justification for forcing someone to stay married to someone else just because the someone else is the President) (not that this bunch wouldn't revel in that abrogation of a woman's autonomy if they could pull it off).

[kore]

OMG, what an AMAZING COINCIDENCE.

I KNOW RIGHT, WHAT A COINCIDENCE A GEM HAS THAT VIEW (Trump actually repeatedly called him a "gem," I was nearly sick)

if the indictment and trial of a sitting President is deemed to make them incapable of discharging "the powers and duties of the office", then it would be an entirely legit use of the 25th Amendment to make the VP acting president for the duration of the trial.

Oh that's good! Would deal with both the "nobody should be above the law" and "but he still needs to run the country" aspects. Of course then we'd be stuck in Mike Pence's Handmaid's Tale LARP having burial services for our used tampons, but hey.

-- Although following your idea that Pence has to resign like Agnew did before the impeachment trigger can be pulled, maybe Pence will be brought down by associations with Manafort -- didn't Manafort PICK him? And Pence was not out of the loop for those convos about "we have dirt on Hillary," either.

[sathari]

maybe Pence will be brought down by associations with Manafort -- didn't Manafort PICK him?

Yes, yes, indeed, Pence is fruit of Manafort's poisoned tree--- it appears that Trump got held over in Indiana for specious reasons during which layover Manafort arranged for quality time between Pence and Trump. (Here's TPM on the subject: https://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/do-we-remember-that-manafort-pick-pence) (Yes, I could do a text link, but I'm starting to get into the habit of posting actual visible URLs so that people can see the source easily and decide if they find it trustworthy, and why yes I do hate bit.ly links, whyever do you ask? ;) )

Also, "Handmaid's Tale LARP" is ON THE NOSE.

[rydra_wong]

didn't Manafort PICK him

Yessssss.

Although following your idea that Pence has to resign like Agnew did before the impeachment trigger can be pulled,

Well, they've displayed heroic commitment to the details in other respects! Maybe Pence is the lone person not on board with the Watergate speedrun attempt, but I have to say I'll be disappointed if he doesn't try to get into the spirit of the thing.

[kore]

"But I don't want to be Spiro Agnew!"

[rydra_wong]

"Well someone has to be Spiro Agnew!"