“In many cases it [impeachment]
will connect itself with the pre-existing factions, all
will enlist all their animosities, partialities, influence, and
interest on one side or on the other; and in such cases there will
always be the greatest danger that the decision will be regulated
more by the comparative strength of parties than by the real
demonstrations of innocence or guilt.”
----Alexander Hamilton Federalist No. 65
The founders, as noted
in previous posts (1), were no wild-eyed idealists. They understood
the passions of men and were fully aware that should, in cases as
these, the Senate fail in its responsibilities, to be the
'deliberative' body that it was clearly intended to be, then the
institutions would fail.
Several Republican
Senators famously announced their verdict before the proceedings even
began. All of them voted against bringing witnesses or additional
materials before the body before the opening arguments. All but two
voted against hearing witnesses or admitting further evidence after
the opening arguments. Only Senators Romney of Utah and Collins of
Maine voted with the Democrats and Independents (there are two
independent United States Senators), to admit further testimony or
evidence, and Collins only did it because she got permission from the
slack-jawed, chinless bastard heading her caucus. McConnell had the
votes and he could afford to let Collins, who is facing fierce
backlash for her equivocations, vote to save her political ass.
Collins is a towering example of a profile in cowardice.
Murkowski of Alaska is
another matter. She openly declared that she would vote against any
continuation of the proceeding because it wouldn't make any
difference; that the Senate had made up its mind. In what stands as
perhaps the most stark revelation she declared—without any sense of
irony—that she would sweep the whole mess under the rug because the
Congress had failed.
Yes, the Congress has
failed and she is one big reason why. It was the Republican minority
in the House and the Republican majority in the Senate that kept
justice from being visited upon the head of our Caesar Disgustus.
Had they been faithful to their oaths to render impartial justice, as
well as to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States,
the outcome would have been much more bipartisan and the fate of our
Scum-In-Chief, much more in doubt. But they shamelessly violated
both oaths as well as the public trust in their headlong effort to
maintain their tenuous hold on political power.
The damage done to the
constitution by this act of acquittal is demonstrable. The Congress
is declaring, in effect, that the President*(I) can hold the Congress
in open contempt; that he is no longer required to account to the
people, and that he can spend appropriations however he wishes, no
longer bound by the heretofore constitutional power of the House of
Representatives to determine spending.
Once again, damage has
been done to our institutions, as Congress is here declaring itself
to be a subordinate branch of government—a rubber-stamp—an idea
that had no currency at the Constitutional Convention. With these
acts of acquittal, and with the process that bought it about, the
Republican Party has declared itself above the constitution; that the
power of the executive extends absolutely throughout
the upper chamber of the Congress, which, one may recall, was
evidenced by McConnell declaring at the onset that the majority would
be walking in lock-step with Disgustus, that, in effect, the White
House would be directing the proceeding. This is a violation of not
only the letter but
the spirit of the
constitution. What has happened is that the Congress, acting with
nearly unanimous Republican votes have voted to give massive power to
the executive; acts reminiscent of the Roman Senate and the Reichstag
in creating historical Caesars. What transpired was the hollowing
out of the people's Congress, now representing the people in name
only. What transpired was Hamilton's worst nightmare: the failure of
Congress to deliberate creating the ascendancy of executive power.
Once again, serious
damage has been done to our constitution. Once again serious damage
has been done to our institutions. Once again, The
Generation of Swine have been
tested and found wanting...The Republican Party has now declared
itself to be the voice of the people, has declared itself to be the
nation; a mantle that our Caesar Disgustus will soon declare to be
his own.
An' Br'er Putin, he jus' laugh and laugh
Impeach and Imprison.
_____________
1. See previous post:
“January 4, 2020: Hamilton on Impeachments, Federalist
No. 65,
No Illusions”,
for a discussion on the subject of impeachments.
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