See, I have mixed feelings about this on so many levels.
Historical: I can't believe that the Executive branch stepped on 200 years of tradition (if not the law) to investigate a corrupt Congressman -- from Louisiana! Duh.
Political: It's pretty shameful that THIS is the event that suddenly wakes up Hastert and the Republicans. Can you say "rubber stamp Republicans?" If not, the Democrats will.
Democratic Party loyalty: There is a way to handle this and it does not involve "acting like a Republican." It involves:
1. (re)swearing your allegiance to the US Constitution and tying this back to the NSA, the Patriot Act, Gitmo, torture, signing statements, and on and on and on.
2. It means (at least) paying lip service to the the fact that Jefferson is innocent until proven guilty -- and simultaneously making a retroactive rule saying if you are under investigation, you must relinquish all power except that given to you via the ballot box.
3. And/but it means that the Congressional Black Caucus needs to get right with Jesus and stop fighting the leadership on this.
I've seen some dumb arguments in my time but this really takes the cake.
There is no legal, nor traditional, impediment to the executive investigating the legislative. To say so requires not just profound stupidity but also profound ignorance. There has never, in the entire history of this Republic, been any such policy, tradition, principle, or law.
There have been efforts in recent years to promulgate such a phoney-baloney, totally unconstitutional, and flat out dumb notion. It should not be just resisted, but flat out opposed with full-throttle force and by every means necessary. The President should have told Hastert to go screw himself, and Hastert ought to be removed from the speakership as an embarrassment for suggesting something so stupid and so breathtakingly arrogant.
What is actually being suggested here is that members of Congress are basically a privileged class that's above the law. Which ought to infuriate anyone who hears it. Check your Constitution, children: the only such immunity members of Congress have is that they can't be arrested while travelling to or from a legislative session, nor for statements made during a legislative session.
The executive branch has been conducting investigations on legislators, and on judges, since the founding of this republic. And the legislators and judges have been conducting investigations on the executive all along too. And that's a good thing, not a bad thing.
Wait -- Denny is sorry and he promises he won't do it again!
In talking points distributed to GOP House members last week, Hastert and other House leaders conceded the perils of their position. "Is this a smart battle for Congress to fight?" the talking points asked. "Perhaps not. Defending Constitutional principles—particularly those related to institutional balances of power—is often not politically expedient and often results in bad publicity."
Bwahahahaha! This is freaking hilarious on so many levels.
P.S. Hey, Dean -- be careful. You don't want to pop a blood vessel or anything, you know?
See, I have mixed feelings about this on so many levels.
Historical: I can't believe that the Executive branch stepped on 200 years of tradition (if not the law) to investigate a corrupt Congressman -- from Louisiana! Duh.
Political: It's pretty shameful that THIS is the event that suddenly wakes up Hastert and the Republicans. Can you say "rubber stamp Republicans?" If not, the Democrats will.
Democratic Party loyalty: There is a way to handle this and it does not involve "acting like a Republican." It involves:
1. (re)swearing your allegiance to the US Constitution and tying this back to the NSA, the Patriot Act, Gitmo, torture, signing statements, and on and on and on.
2. It means (at least) paying lip service to the the fact that Jefferson is innocent until proven guilty -- and simultaneously making a retroactive rule saying if you are under investigation, you must relinquish all power except that given to you via the ballot box.
3. And/but it means that the Congressional Black Caucus needs to get right with Jesus and stop fighting the leadership on this.
That's all I can think of right now.
It seems like the parties are in a race to the bottom. Not my preference. I want both to be strong, principled and ethical.
I would settle for less boneheaded.
Yours,
Wince
There is no legal, nor traditional, impediment to the executive investigating the legislative. To say so requires not just profound stupidity but also profound ignorance. There has never, in the entire history of this Republic, been any such policy, tradition, principle, or law.
There have been efforts in recent years to promulgate such a phoney-baloney, totally unconstitutional, and flat out dumb notion. It should not be just resisted, but flat out opposed with full-throttle force and by every means necessary. The President should have told Hastert to go screw himself, and Hastert ought to be removed from the speakership as an embarrassment for suggesting something so stupid and so breathtakingly arrogant.
What is actually being suggested here is that members of Congress are basically a privileged class that's above the law. Which ought to infuriate anyone who hears it. Check your Constitution, children: the only such immunity members of Congress have is that they can't be arrested while travelling to or from a legislative session, nor for statements made during a legislative session.
The executive branch has been conducting investigations on legislators, and on judges, since the founding of this republic. And the legislators and judges have been conducting investigations on the executive all along too. And that's a good thing, not a bad thing.
Fire Denny Hastert. Immediately.
P.S. Hey, Dean -- be careful. You don't want to pop a blood vessel or anything, you know?