This is exactly the position of Trump's home country. Trump-the-grandfather-of-the current Trump (also known. as President-Musk-and-his-orange-monkey) fled Germany because of its war draft. He fled to N.America. Then several yrs. later he returned to his homeland, Germany. Then, he expatriates again to Canada where he runs a hotel/brothel. Again, he returned to Germany which R.E.F.U.S.E.D him German citizenship!!! Thus, America was his final choice of home, using "chain-migration" based on his sister's neo-citizenship in America. (Is this not a hoot ?. Chain migration really?).
I've said this so many times. Had they convicted the first time around we would also have had maybe a million fewer deaths from COVID, because Pence would have deferred to the experts and not stirred up trouble all the time.
Frankly, to me it seems one other salient point was missed in placing the blame squarely at McConnell's feet. If the senate would have done its job in 2016, 8 months before the election (and nearly a year to the 2017 inauguration), the Supreme Court would look very different today. Merrick Garland would have been on the court and not Gorsuch (well, maybe he would have been Trump's first appointee, but one of the three Trump appointed would not be there).
Instead, McConnell held the nation hostage and then in Fall 2020 did a 180 by streamlining the process for Amy Coney Barrett.
Yes he thought he had to protect the country from Democrats – – sadly there was a way worse enemy called Trump and Trumpism. A reporter said that removing Miley‘s portrait at the department of defense was very Stalin-esk with no further commentary. They do not call him out for anything.
Trump-ism was bette in his view, because McConnell is a racist. And someone who hatred the Great Society of Roosebelt, and relished Reagan’s attack on governmenr. I too consider him the father of the mess we are in.
McConnell's various actions opened a big hole into which Trump and the Obscene Court could push our democracy.
McConnell's stern statement about Trump's absolute culpability followed by McConnell's clear intention to keep his party from punishing Trump, was ludicrous.
It was as if McConnell watched a criminal try to murder someone, had an easy way to keep that criminal from escaping justice, but instead walked away using the excuse that we have police officers and an FBI who could find and punish the alleged murderer. Transparent irresponsibility by a small, authoritarian loving man, with big power and no morality.
I also must point to the Supreme Court's Citizens United decision that has allowed a few ultra wealthy individuals to purchase elections. In Ohio, Peter Thiel has bought 2 senate seats so far.
I have been saying this for a long time now. McConnell has done so much damage to this country, first not allowing Obama's SC nominee to be brought up for a confirmation vote, then ramming through ACB. But not convicting trump was the biggest slimiest, spineless act of his.
Sure, blame McConnell. But his name is only the first in a long list. Every member of the Senate GOP that didn't have the courage to vote to convict shares in that shame. When that list is complete, add Garland then Roberts and cohorts. Why narrow the focus or limit the blame.
This is an excellent point. It is the entire Republican party that got in bed with Trump willingly. But the point people like McConnell did all they could to make that bed attractive, or the only choice for someone facing a difficult run for Congress
The republicans got the country into this mess and the only the republicans can get us out. Trump is a lame duck and McConnell is on his way out. If McConnell was a true statesman he and other patriotic republicans would stop Trump’s radical agenda. I am not confident in the future of our democracy.
Sorry, but you lost me when you lumped the honest, careful, and meticulous Merrick Garland in with the Republicans and right-wing judges. There are not two sides to this story. Mitch should never have dealt Garland that losing hand.
Well, where you see dithering, the estimable author of the post sees him laying careful groundwork more than six months before naming the special counsel.
Given that this was yet another "unprecedented" moment in jurisprudence, think how much louder you and other Garland critics would be screaming had he rushed and made a fatal mistake of law in the process.
He should never have been faced with the issue. The Senate abdicated, just like they are doing now. There is only a unitary executive from here until at least the mid-terms. If we as a country last that long.
I'm wondering, really. What experience in the law do you have? If so how many prosecutions have you been responsible for? I happen to have a lot of respect for the author. Her positions as presented are always accompanied by more than sufficient evidence. It is easy to lob criticisms from the Peanut Gallery.
I was involved in SCOTUS litigation (1st Amend Case). I was involved in DC District case that literally made Con-law (separation of powers).
And since when is polite, yet firm, disagreement with someone a sign of disrespect? I am fully confident Ms. McQuade can handle this heat. If she can't, then one really should doubt her credentials.
Obviously, you missed the point Ms McQuade made in her clearly written opinion. Prosecution and conviction take a lot of time. McConnell could have urged his fellow Republicans Senators to convict after the impeachment, which would have prevented Trump from ever holding any elected office again rather than relying on the courts.
That WAS my point: McConnell is the one to blame for everything, not Garland and not Biden. Mitch and his fellow cowards could have spared us this entire excruciating exercise in fascism and chose not to.
I would add Chuck Grassley, who has enough influence that he could have made a difference. Yep, the Senate is where the big failure happened. But people voted for them and for the current person in the oval office, so the people are ultimately to blame. I know it's hard to sort out all the propaganda and disinformation, but this is way over the top.
All of us need to put pressure on our reps and other officers. We can start by demanding that our AG's join a lawsuit against the executive order to deny birthright citizenship. This is BIG. I don't know if there are enough people who still care about democracy, but we should still try.
They all put the interests of their Party over that of the country. And they were stupid and wrong in understanding what the interests of their party were. In the long run, they’ve lost the party they had (or thought they had). Trump has transformed the Republican Party into a full blown fascist, authoritarian political party.
Republicans would have been better off cutting Trump off at the knees in the impeachment trial.
Absolutely, and if it not for her and her allegiance to Trump, Jack Smith would have had him behind bars long ago; therefore, T.’s name would not even have been allowed on any ballot, and he could never hold any office again.
Not sure she'd be any worse in terms of outcomes, but I'm also pretty sure neither Clarence nor Sam will willingly give up the gravy train of billionaires seeking favors. Speaker fees after leaving the Court would pale in comparison to what they are raking in now.
We definitely must get out of the mess. Plenty has happened since yesterday‘s inauguration to warrant impeachment for failing to uphold the Constitution. His claim of undoing the right to citizenship at birth in this country, is one major example. People in office must begin action on that immediately..
I also still believe that computers in places where Trump supposedly won the election should be examined thoroughly. I do not trust them..
Look to history. Look to Nero. What is it the stoics could have done once they saw how narcissistic and dangerous he was. Seneca said he should have been exiled. Perhaps exile is a metaphor.
I totally agree. We KNOW McConnell could have stopped it by voting to impeach. We SUSPECT Biden could have stopped it by not running. We HOPE that Garland would not have been stymied by the Supreme Court, but we KNOW that the MAGA’s don’t care about a conviction. So I say McConnell for sure.
McConnell is absolutely at fault. There was no reason not to vote to convict and still let the criminal justice system take care of the criminality. Garland waited too long, and trump was able to run out the clock with his anti judicial antics. Now we have a convicted criminal as president, morally corrupt, and letting violent criminals out on the street because they did his dirty work. Thank you McConnell, may your rot in hell. Spare us your come to the mountain moment.
I blame Karl Rove for this entire movement. It started years ago and the Republicans and Trump just learned how to exploit poor people. I do think McConnell is a spineless old coot and that Miss Graham is also complicit as hell. These old fossils sold our nation down the river and cut off any anchor we had to civil discourse. Screw them all.
It goes further back than Rove. It started with Ronnie Ragin' declaring that, "Government (by which he meant the Federal Government) isn't part of the problem, it IS THE PROBLEM". That was the start of the GOP's economic and polemical war against the poor, the non-whites, and our education system. I'm afraid it is going to take a calamity, beyond those being imagined today, for Americans to realize they have been duped. I fear that my children and grand-children will live in economic and political servitude to American puppet masters who are beholden to foreign governments because America will have thrown away all its international alliances and lost its current leadership of world economic relationships. Putin and Xi are playing a very long game while Don the Con (Made Americans Gullible Again) plays the capitalist "transactional profits now and the future be d*mned" tune to perfection. In the mean time grifters are thriving and crony capitalism is about to gorge itself on the American public's gross fecklessness. This has taken 50 years to come to fruition. I don't expect a recovery in my lifetime.
Reagan brought "Dark Money" to life. He started filling the cesspool with unethical chum... and with many helping hands (yes, a big boost by Moscow Mitch) we are now swimming with the Orange Shark (even though he's afraid of sharks).
But wasn’t he ( just) working for the Koch brothers and others of his ilk? Robber Baron FOX magnate and family? Partnering with the Leo Lenard’s of the World to plot with WCNationalists? They all built this web of support. A lot of long term plotters unfolding their web. Buy SCOTUS, get religious foot in the door with Pence convincing t about them. The “ chosen” libertarian groups. The Brologarchs are a new add to the t party but where $$$ goes and the offering up of parts of America happen many from the Business Class will follow. IMH and respectful opinion there are many, many pieces to this web puzzle but
the seed $$$ didn’t come from Rove.
Agree McConnell paved the way. Wonder if M republicans still think they can control t ?
Yes. McConnell put his own personal power and party over his duty to the country. His actions have been shameful.
In my opinion, he is one of the worst things that ever happened to this country.
Note: Goldwater refused to support Nixon in spite of their strong relationship. As a result, Nixon knew he had to resign. And Nixon’s deeds pale in comparison to Trump’s.
I will never forget the images of a confederate flag in the Capitol. That didn’t even happen during the civil war.
McConnell is absolutely to blame for this. While Garland was slow to prosecute, McConnell could have easily persuaded his Republican colleagues to vote to impeach and get rid of Trump. Instead, he wimped out - pure and simple. What a failure in doing your job…
McConnell's Republican "colleagues" didn't need any persuasion - they toed the line for whatever he told them to do. And he "told" them to vote No. It is all on McConnell's "slopey sholders" and his vindictive, racist little a** (He never did get over the fact that America elected a black President)
I have always blamed McConnell. He spent years setting this up. He has a very fine and hot space waiting for him in hell.
I could not have put it any better, Francine, except to add that he has always valued POWER above all else.
"The Lord don't want him and Hell won't take him."
"Hell is empty and all the devils are here"
It's like the Third Reich has reincarnated into this 'administration' read, wrecking ball.
This is exactly the position of Trump's home country. Trump-the-grandfather-of-the current Trump (also known. as President-Musk-and-his-orange-monkey) fled Germany because of its war draft. He fled to N.America. Then several yrs. later he returned to his homeland, Germany. Then, he expatriates again to Canada where he runs a hotel/brothel. Again, he returned to Germany which R.E.F.U.S.E.D him German citizenship!!! Thus, America was his final choice of home, using "chain-migration" based on his sister's neo-citizenship in America. (Is this not a hoot ?. Chain migration really?).
I've said this so many times. Had they convicted the first time around we would also have had maybe a million fewer deaths from COVID, because Pence would have deferred to the experts and not stirred up trouble all the time.
Frankly, to me it seems one other salient point was missed in placing the blame squarely at McConnell's feet. If the senate would have done its job in 2016, 8 months before the election (and nearly a year to the 2017 inauguration), the Supreme Court would look very different today. Merrick Garland would have been on the court and not Gorsuch (well, maybe he would have been Trump's first appointee, but one of the three Trump appointed would not be there).
Instead, McConnell held the nation hostage and then in Fall 2020 did a 180 by streamlining the process for Amy Coney Barrett.
Agreed, but I put a lot of blame on Obama for being so passive. He should have been on TV every night about it.
Yes, I agree. McConnell thought he could control/play trump but trump/putin ended up controlling and playing him
These Rasputin types always make this mistake with child kings.
I favor McConnell as well. He could have and he is responsible for the SC as well. He is guilty in many ways especially as he never was a
Trumpite. But he protected him just yo keep himself in power.
Yes he thought he had to protect the country from Democrats – – sadly there was a way worse enemy called Trump and Trumpism. A reporter said that removing Miley‘s portrait at the department of defense was very Stalin-esk with no further commentary. They do not call him out for anything.
First, he spent years trying to disable the Black president.
Thank you for reminding us. This we have Coney Barrett on the not very supreme court
Trump-ism was bette in his view, because McConnell is a racist. And someone who hatred the Great Society of Roosebelt, and relished Reagan’s attack on governmenr. I too consider him the father of the mess we are in.
McConnell's various actions opened a big hole into which Trump and the Obscene Court could push our democracy.
McConnell's stern statement about Trump's absolute culpability followed by McConnell's clear intention to keep his party from punishing Trump, was ludicrous.
It was as if McConnell watched a criminal try to murder someone, had an easy way to keep that criminal from escaping justice, but instead walked away using the excuse that we have police officers and an FBI who could find and punish the alleged murderer. Transparent irresponsibility by a small, authoritarian loving man, with big power and no morality.
He wanted those Koch dollars to line his little pocket.
He is a senator of Kentucky and only wants power not help to his voters
Too bad he’s not in KY with the climate change terrible weather. Perhaps he would see some light (after the storm).
I also must point to the Supreme Court's Citizens United decision that has allowed a few ultra wealthy individuals to purchase elections. In Ohio, Peter Thiel has bought 2 senate seats so far.
And Thiel has bought himself a VP.
And due to his citizenship position, Musk couldn't run or be elected President, but he could (and did) buy one.
Plenty of blame to go around.
So spot on. Citizen's United is the WORST Supreme Court Decision EVER.
I have been saying this for a long time now. McConnell has done so much damage to this country, first not allowing Obama's SC nominee to be brought up for a confirmation vote, then ramming through ACB. But not convicting trump was the biggest slimiest, spineless act of his.
Sure, blame McConnell. But his name is only the first in a long list. Every member of the Senate GOP that didn't have the courage to vote to convict shares in that shame. When that list is complete, add Garland then Roberts and cohorts. Why narrow the focus or limit the blame.
This is an excellent point. It is the entire Republican party that got in bed with Trump willingly. But the point people like McConnell did all they could to make that bed attractive, or the only choice for someone facing a difficult run for Congress
The republicans got the country into this mess and the only the republicans can get us out. Trump is a lame duck and McConnell is on his way out. If McConnell was a true statesman he and other patriotic republicans would stop Trump’s radical agenda. I am not confident in the future of our democracy.
...we hope he is a lame duck.
Sorry, but you lost me when you lumped the honest, careful, and meticulous Merrick Garland in with the Republicans and right-wing judges. There are not two sides to this story. Mitch should never have dealt Garland that losing hand.
Two things can be true at once.
Garland is honest, careful and sure, meticulous.
But in being those things he also became afraid of his own shadow, eg so focused on not doing the wrong thing, he failed to do the correct thing.
He dithered, and then wilted. He shares blame, which is not the same as saying he is to blame. No, he shares blame with McConnell, et al.
Well, where you see dithering, the estimable author of the post sees him laying careful groundwork more than six months before naming the special counsel.
Given that this was yet another "unprecedented" moment in jurisprudence, think how much louder you and other Garland critics would be screaming had he rushed and made a fatal mistake of law in the process.
He should never have been faced with the issue. The Senate abdicated, just like they are doing now. There is only a unitary executive from here until at least the mid-terms. If we as a country last that long.
With apologist like you and the "estimable author," why did he even bother accept the position, never mind show up for work?
The Senate failed. It fell to him. He failed (too). It's not hard.
FTR, I liked the Garland nomination. I'm sure he's a fine person. Again, two things can be true at once. He failed. Period.
BTW, the author, a former member of DOJ, has reason to not critique Garland / the Department.
I'm wondering, really. What experience in the law do you have? If so how many prosecutions have you been responsible for? I happen to have a lot of respect for the author. Her positions as presented are always accompanied by more than sufficient evidence. It is easy to lob criticisms from the Peanut Gallery.
I was involved in SCOTUS litigation (1st Amend Case). I was involved in DC District case that literally made Con-law (separation of powers).
And since when is polite, yet firm, disagreement with someone a sign of disrespect? I am fully confident Ms. McQuade can handle this heat. If she can't, then one really should doubt her credentials.
Obviously, you missed the point Ms McQuade made in her clearly written opinion. Prosecution and conviction take a lot of time. McConnell could have urged his fellow Republicans Senators to convict after the impeachment, which would have prevented Trump from ever holding any elected office again rather than relying on the courts.
That WAS my point: McConnell is the one to blame for everything, not Garland and not Biden. Mitch and his fellow cowards could have spared us this entire excruciating exercise in fascism and chose not to.
I would add Chuck Grassley, who has enough influence that he could have made a difference. Yep, the Senate is where the big failure happened. But people voted for them and for the current person in the oval office, so the people are ultimately to blame. I know it's hard to sort out all the propaganda and disinformation, but this is way over the top.
All of us need to put pressure on our reps and other officers. We can start by demanding that our AG's join a lawsuit against the executive order to deny birthright citizenship. This is BIG. I don't know if there are enough people who still care about democracy, but we should still try.
They all put the interests of their Party over that of the country. And they were stupid and wrong in understanding what the interests of their party were. In the long run, they’ve lost the party they had (or thought they had). Trump has transformed the Republican Party into a full blown fascist, authoritarian political party.
Republicans would have been better off cutting Trump off at the knees in the impeachment trial.
Oh, I have special contempt for Susan "I think he's learned his lesson" Collins in this regard.
You’re gd right I blame McConnell. He is an awful excuse for a human being. Colossal POS.
Excellent article. McConnell is most definitely the villain in this bit of history.
As a U of M law graduate ('63) I'm always reassured to see you representing the traditions I remember. But then there is Aileen Cannon . . .
Absolutely, and if it not for her and her allegiance to Trump, Jack Smith would have had him behind bars long ago; therefore, T.’s name would not even have been allowed on any ballot, and he could never hold any office again.
Aileen is the next SC Justice.
And you know if/when Alito or Thomas step down during this clown show I don't have to tell you who will be first in line for that seat.
Not sure she'd be any worse in terms of outcomes, but I'm also pretty sure neither Clarence nor Sam will willingly give up the gravy train of billionaires seeking favors. Speaker fees after leaving the Court would pale in comparison to what they are raking in now.
Good point!
My fear exactly.
And I'm tired of looking for people to blame for the current national mess. I'd rather learn more about how we can get out of it.
We definitely must get out of the mess. Plenty has happened since yesterday‘s inauguration to warrant impeachment for failing to uphold the Constitution. His claim of undoing the right to citizenship at birth in this country, is one major example. People in office must begin action on that immediately..
I also still believe that computers in places where Trump supposedly won the election should be examined thoroughly. I do not trust them..
A Republican-led House of Representatives majority wouldn't dream of impeaching Trump. Mikey (Johnson) wouldn't even let it come up for a vote.
You don't really think that will happen, do you?
I think it should happen, but there is much experience these last several years to indicate otherwise.
Look to history. Look to Nero. What is it the stoics could have done once they saw how narcissistic and dangerous he was. Seneca said he should have been exiled. Perhaps exile is a metaphor.
Good point.
I totally agree. We KNOW McConnell could have stopped it by voting to impeach. We SUSPECT Biden could have stopped it by not running. We HOPE that Garland would not have been stymied by the Supreme Court, but we KNOW that the MAGA’s don’t care about a conviction. So I say McConnell for sure.
McConnell is absolutely at fault. There was no reason not to vote to convict and still let the criminal justice system take care of the criminality. Garland waited too long, and trump was able to run out the clock with his anti judicial antics. Now we have a convicted criminal as president, morally corrupt, and letting violent criminals out on the street because they did his dirty work. Thank you McConnell, may your rot in hell. Spare us your come to the mountain moment.
McConnell stacked the federal courts and Supreme Court with Magats, then he refused to impeach the First Felon, TWICE.
Only a minor quibble: The House did impeach Trump - twice, as you say. What McConnell and the Senate failed to do was convict and remove.
You are right. I forgot when writing that impeachment is done by the house, and the senate convicts.
I blame Karl Rove for this entire movement. It started years ago and the Republicans and Trump just learned how to exploit poor people. I do think McConnell is a spineless old coot and that Miss Graham is also complicit as hell. These old fossils sold our nation down the river and cut off any anchor we had to civil discourse. Screw them all.
It goes further back than Rove. It started with Ronnie Ragin' declaring that, "Government (by which he meant the Federal Government) isn't part of the problem, it IS THE PROBLEM". That was the start of the GOP's economic and polemical war against the poor, the non-whites, and our education system. I'm afraid it is going to take a calamity, beyond those being imagined today, for Americans to realize they have been duped. I fear that my children and grand-children will live in economic and political servitude to American puppet masters who are beholden to foreign governments because America will have thrown away all its international alliances and lost its current leadership of world economic relationships. Putin and Xi are playing a very long game while Don the Con (Made Americans Gullible Again) plays the capitalist "transactional profits now and the future be d*mned" tune to perfection. In the mean time grifters are thriving and crony capitalism is about to gorge itself on the American public's gross fecklessness. This has taken 50 years to come to fruition. I don't expect a recovery in my lifetime.
Don't forget Newt Gingrich, who (unfortunately) is still lurking in the wings; influential in right-wing organizations and think tanks.
It goes further back than that. Joe McCarthy and his sidekick, Roy Cohen. And guess who Roy nurtured.
Reagan brought "Dark Money" to life. He started filling the cesspool with unethical chum... and with many helping hands (yes, a big boost by Moscow Mitch) we are now swimming with the Orange Shark (even though he's afraid of sharks).
Bravo! Well stated!
But wasn’t he ( just) working for the Koch brothers and others of his ilk? Robber Baron FOX magnate and family? Partnering with the Leo Lenard’s of the World to plot with WCNationalists? They all built this web of support. A lot of long term plotters unfolding their web. Buy SCOTUS, get religious foot in the door with Pence convincing t about them. The “ chosen” libertarian groups. The Brologarchs are a new add to the t party but where $$$ goes and the offering up of parts of America happen many from the Business Class will follow. IMH and respectful opinion there are many, many pieces to this web puzzle but
the seed $$$ didn’t come from Rove.
Agree McConnell paved the way. Wonder if M republicans still think they can control t ?
Yes. McConnell put his own personal power and party over his duty to the country. His actions have been shameful.
In my opinion, he is one of the worst things that ever happened to this country.
Note: Goldwater refused to support Nixon in spite of their strong relationship. As a result, Nixon knew he had to resign. And Nixon’s deeds pale in comparison to Trump’s.
I will never forget the images of a confederate flag in the Capitol. That didn’t even happen during the civil war.
McConnell is absolutely to blame for this. While Garland was slow to prosecute, McConnell could have easily persuaded his Republican colleagues to vote to impeach and get rid of Trump. Instead, he wimped out - pure and simple. What a failure in doing your job…
McConnell's Republican "colleagues" didn't need any persuasion - they toed the line for whatever he told them to do. And he "told" them to vote No. It is all on McConnell's "slopey sholders" and his vindictive, racist little a** (He never did get over the fact that America elected a black President)
I agree McConnell is to blame. I’m from Kentucky. Surely he will retire!!
I’d like to see a lightning strike.
Multiple precision strikes, maybe??
I'm praying for something lingering and painful.
Yes, he'll be leaving the scene right on the heels of American democracy, decency, and the rule of law.
If McConnell doesn't retire, please call for the KY citizens to retire him.
He is not running for reelection.
Neither was nonagenarian Chuck Grassley... until he did. So, we'll see.
I predict he will die in office.