The Real Threat of Not Convicting Trump
So we are about to make a huge mistake. And led by a Republican Party that once again put partisanship ahead of country.
The impeachment argument by the Democrats was laced with truth, and the facts. There was absolutely no defense to this argument by the Republicans; none.
They simply said nothing in rebuttal, but used the “President can do what he wants as Commander in Chief”.
This “theory” of the Presidential power from Article 2, was an outgrowth of WWI and WWII, when the President HAD to make decisions of war an peace and could not wait for Congress.
For example, the bombing of Hiroshima was a decision by one man, Truman, with absolutely no input from Congress.
The Cold War, mistakenly, was an extension of this building of an “imperial Presidency”. With no Declaration of War, a peacetime draft was extended, we nearly went to war over Cuba with no legislative input; etc.
The War with Mexico is a good example of what the founders wanted; the Congress debated the War with Mexico, that was a land grab led by President Polk to tip the balance of slave and free states.
Abraham Lincoln came to prominence with his heartfelt, and prophetic, arguments AGAINST getting into the Mexican War.
And Lincoln lost; the war was waged at the President’s urging, and a land grab that ultimately led to the Civil War ensued.
Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan etc etc have been further testimonies to the President as King in foreign policy; that has torn the country apart. And each of these “President declared wars” has failed.
Each time, in spite of the disastrous results, the President’s power has increased. Each time the Constitutional power of the Congress has been eroded.
Now, in an obvious attempt to use a foreign nation to fix an election in Trump’s favor, the Republican Party of all things (Polk was a Democrat) have fallen in line with the Imperial Presidency.
This from the party that fears Big Government. Now they are in the camp of Presidential Power not only over foreign policy, but domestic as well. There is nothing more Big Government than one man rule!
Trump refuses to follow precedent in limited executive power. His blatant disregard of the public will, in using funds NOT designated for his fictional Wall is but one exercise of this dangerous precedent.
This leaves us open for what nearly just happened in Iraq, where Trump killed an Iran General, with absolutely no consulting with Congress, that may well plunge the United States into a very dangerous war in the Middle East, putting us into a collision course with Russia.
And this from a President who has absolutely no skills in negotiating. through diplomacy, who “trusts his gut” that has absolutely no past history of being successful; he went bankrupt five times.
We all are in great danger right now, thanks to a Republican Party that puts winning elections ahead of democracy.