Day 344

He had appeared to violate the rule.  He was warned.  He was given an explanation.  Nevertheless, he persisted.

     The hour of maximum danger is upon us, and the gentleman from New York and his accessories and apologists and appeasers are apoplectic.  These bad magicians are good at distraction, but they are not pulling any rabbits out of the hat.  Nevertheless, people insist that Presto the Magnificent is the best.

     Self-styled "conservatives" are hugging technicalities and hanging ten on a tangent.  When it comes to the Special Prosecutor's investigation, over and over again they say there is no "collusion."  They are technically right and totally wrong.  There is conspiracy, which is the legal term.

     Unlike Presto, let us make the Russian Connection disappear.  Imagine Comey spent the night sitting on the curb with Willie the Wino passing the paper sack back and forth, which contained a fine wine aged since yesterday, and was in a drunken stupor when he composed his memoranda.  Will anyone then say, "Ta-da!"?

     During the transition, Richard Painter, former ethics lawyer for Bush the Younger, and Laurence Tribe, a professor of constitutional law at Harvard University, warned the gentleman from New York about the emoluments clause.  Walter Shaub, the Director of the Office of Government Ethics, offered to assist him with divestiture.  That was given no consideration and was not accepted.  Thus, from the moment he said, "So help me God" he has been in violation of the Constitution, and the benefit of the doubt cannot erase "high crimes and misdemeanors."  (Article II, Section 4)  Wherefore an impeachment resolution can be drafted from the frame of reference of the self-styled "strict constructionists" that would find the gentleman from New York in violation of the emoluments clause, the take care clause, the oath, and therefore in contempt of the Constitution.  (Article I, Section 9, Clause 8; Article II, Section 3 & Article II, Section 1, Clause 8)

     The warning signs came early--"I am your voice"--and often--"I alone can fix it."  And there was cause for concern:  "I am the only one that matters."

     The first word in the Constitution is "WE."  The only time "I" appears is in the oath to uphold the supreme law of the land; the "I" acts on behalf of the "WE."  And so, the bond has been broken.

     Despite distractions, the Russian Connection has not disappeared.  And to three infamous names--Lucifer, Judas, and Benedict Arnold--a fourth shall soon be added, that of the gentleman from New York.

(c)2017 Marvin D. Jones.  All rights reserved.


https://www.newyorker.com/news/ryan-lizza/walter-shaubs-desperate-attempts-to-make-trump-adhere-to-government-ethics

 https://www.lawfareblog.com/ethics-rules-are-national-security-rules