Ben Sasse – * Failed Pols

I do not fault stupid people for making the stupid decision to elect Donald Trump in 2016.

I do fault smart people for making stupid decisions. These include:

1. Senators who voted to acquit Donald Trump in his no-witnesses-allowed impeachment trial, including primarily Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell:

* Impeachment of Donald Trump (2020-02-05)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impeachment_of_Donald_Trump#Acquittal

* Mitch McConnell (2020-02-05)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitch_McConnell#Impeachment_trial

2. Members of the GOP who voted to disenfranchise voters in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin – before, during, and AFTER the 2021 storming of the United States Capitol – including Paul Gosar (AZ-04), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Jody Hice (R–GA-10), Mo Brooks (R–AL-05), Scott Perry (R–PA-10), Josh Hawley (R–MO), and Louie Gohmert (R–TX-01).

* 2021 Storming Of The United States Capitol (2021-01-06)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2021_storming_of_the_United_States_Capitol

* 2020 United States Presidential Election Electoral College Count (2021-01-06 – 2021-01-07)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2020_United_States_presidential_election_Electoral_College_count

3. Donald Trump’s cabinet, who could have invoked the 25th Amendment to remove POTUS at any time:

* Cabinet Of Donald Trump (2017-01-21 – PRESENT)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cabinet_of_Donald_Trump

4. Social media, including especially Facebook and Twitter, for allowing their social networks to be used as platforms for hate speech.

* Donald Trump On Social Media (2017-01-21 – PRESENT)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_Trump_on_social_media#2021

5. Mainstream media, including especially CNN (on the left) and Fox News (on the right) for not doing their jobs – asking questions until they get answers – and allowing POTUS to lie unchecked.

* Veracity Of Statements By Donald Trump (2017-01-21 – PRESENT)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veracity_of_statements_by_Donald_Trump

6. Lawmakers at all levels, for failing to fix bad laws and for failing to enact good laws. Changes that must be made going forward include:

Limiting POTUS power:

Executive order power must be limited.
All cabinet members (acting/interim/actual) must be confirmed by Senate.
Treaties and tariffs must be the role of Congress so that POTUS cannot engage in trade wars.
War Powers Act must be updated to limit POTUS power to deploy the military.
Special Counsel Act must be updated to make clear that POTUS cannot fire special counsel.

Writing better and new laws:

Impeachment Act of 2021, to define how impeachment is conducted, including the requirement to have witnesses.
Follow the lead of The Restatements Of The Law project (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Restatements_of_the_Law) and codify major SCOTUS cases, including especially Roe v. Wade.
Fix the Census.
Fix immigration.
Fix SCOTUS processes, such as limiting appointments to 2 per POTUS with the number of SCOTUS justices fixed at the number of Federal Circuits (currently 13).
Election reform, including who is qualified to run for POTUS and that tax forms must be disclosed to do so.

Just to name a few.

Stupid people, bad laws, and lies got us into this mess.

Smart people, good laws, and the truth can get us out of this mess.

LAW >> MAN.

#FailedPols
https://www.failblog.com/

Republican Senator Ben Sasse of Nebraska is one of a growing number of lawmakers in Donald Trump’s own party who have criticized Trump’s attempts at suppressing justice. On Labor day, Sasse compared Trump’s governing style to that of a banana republic. In short, Two Republican Congressmen have been indicted by the Department of Justice for federal crimes, and what Donald Trump has shown he cares most about is losing the Republican seats in the November election. Ben Sasse’s response was to Trump’s tweet attacking the Department of Justice:

“Two long running, Obama era, investigations of two very popular Republican Congressmen were brought to a well publicized charge, just ahead of the Mid-Terms, by the Jeff Sessions Justice Department. Two easy wins now in doubt because there is not enough time. Good job Jeff……” Tweeted Trump.

Republican congressman Chris Collins of New York was the first congressman to endorse Donald Trump in the 2016 election. He has been charged with securities fraud and insider trading. Collins maintains that the charges were politically motivated.

Duncan Hunter (R-CA), and his wife, Margaret Hunter, were charged with misuse of campaign funds and falsifying records to the Federal Election Commission in order to cover up the use of the funds. Hunter is accused of using $250,000 in campaign funds to pay for school tuition for his children, dental work for his family, international vacations for family members, and a number of other personal luxuries.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions will be pursuing the charges against both Collins and Hunter. This has added fuel to Donald Trump’s existing ire toward Sessions, with Trump criticizing Sessions for not taking into account the political ramifications of charging two Republican congressmen as the country approaches the November elections.

Ben Sasse responded to Trump’s criticism of the situation in this statement: “The United States is not some banana republic with a two-tiered system of justice – one for the majority party and one for the minority party.

“These two men have been charged with crimes because of evidence, not because of who the President was when the investigations began…Instead of commenting on ongoing investigations and prosecutions, the job of the President of the United States is to defend the Constitution and protect the impartial administration of justice.”

In Trump’s America, however, it is normal to play favorites; reward those who support your agenda, even if they’re accused of criminal acts; and undermine public faith in those who criticize or disagree with you. This is not unlike the dynamics of a banana republic, as Ben Sass has pointed out.

Trump slams Sessions over indictments of GOP lawmakers | CNN [2019-09-03]

Judge Jeanine: Jeff Sessions needs to do one of two things | Fox News [2018-09-01]

Category: Ben Sasse

* Erik’s Editorial: The Guilty Parties Who Put American Democracy At Risk In The Name Of Donald Trump

Ben Sasse Sasses Trump: “The U.S. is Not Some Banana Republic”