Friday, May 12, 2017

Time "To Stand, And Deliver" -- Please Do Forgive The Politics.


So many of 45's tweets are inane, wrong-headed or ignorant -- of basic constitutional precepts -- it would be impossible to challenge each one. That would be a 24 by 7 job; "no thanks". . . .

But this one, from just this morning -- see image at right; click to enlarge it -- stands out, among all, in recent months. It is jaw-slacking, in its unhinged. . . lunacy -- from the so-called leader of the free world.

It must be challenged. Forget for a moment that the President is here threatening the former head of the FBI -- for exercising what would be his first amendment rights -- as he would obviously not violate his duties as a lawyer, and former US employee. He still has a wide swath of first amendment rights, now that he is a private citizen. But as I say, forget that. That's typical Agent Orange non-sense blather. James Comey is more than up to resisting such penny-ante tactics.

No -- I write to note that -- under local DC law (i.e., wherever the "conversations" occurred) -- and more importantly, under applicable federal law [18 U.S. Code § 2511(1)(e)], unless Mr. Comey consented to any taping, Mr. Trump is admitting to a felony. It is called wire-tapping -- and it carries a five year prison term [at §§ (4)(a)]. Now, it is possible (I suppose), that Mr. Trump is referring to a formal investigative interview -- one that Mr. Comey might have conducted (of Mr. Trump), as head of the FBI -- and of course, that interview would properly be record-able -- and recorded. But I am aware of no such formal interview.

. . . .James Comey better hope there are no "tapes" of our conversations, before he starts leaking to the press!. . . .


We shall see -- but this staggering display of ignorance is. . . almost laughable. Almost. But not. . . quite.

I suspect Mr. Trump thinks that because Mr. Nixon wire-tapped many people in his office, and over the phone -- that this is a good idea. The federal wire-tap laws were amended specifically to respond to Mr. Nixon's un-American activities. 45's hubris, and ignorance, seem to know no bounds.

But he IS, day by fateful, odious day, making a reasonably good case for his own impeachment -- from his own tweets. So do hold forth, on Twitter, Mr. President. I await (with relish) your entirely self-inflicted undoing.

नमस्ते

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

if only. But, this gets in the way:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/politics/wp/2017/05/12/the-one-little-number-that-so-far-is-all-of-the-protection-donald-trump-needs/?hpid=hp_rhp-top-table-main_number-850a%3Ahomepage%2Fstory&utm_term=.d2ba6a70434a


I don't see a Republican stepping up to allow it to go through Congress. Maybe if there is a change in the leadership in the 2018 elections~~maybe.

condor said...

I do hear you, Anon.

If Merrick Garland is name the new head of the FBI(?!)... he can independently charge under the DoJ's wiretapping violations authority -- just as he can charge under the Russia investigation more broadly.

A charge of that sort (potentially Treason)... would be hard to slow walk, in the Congress -- regardless of party affiliation.

Great stuff!

Keep it coming!

Namaste...