Tearing up a divisive speech during which a despicable racist was awarded the presidential medal of freedom was an entirely appropriate response.
63
Trump's political declaration that President Obama was not born in this country knowing it was untrue was a cynical breach of civility that never can be forgiven. That he rode this lie to the presidency is uncivilized at best.
97
pretty sad to say only "some" GOP members think Paul naming a whistleblower is bad... I still fail to understand why RP did it.
56
It is either wrong or right to out a whistleblower. One wonders what the other side's uproar would sound like had it been a Democrat who outed someone.
26
We need to expose the whistleblower so the whole world can see that his motives were political
9
Quick Quiz: Is America Great Again Now?
Y/N.
If Yes, give three reasons (Other than 'Because Trump is president').
If No, why has he been such a failure?
Examples:
Yes. The Wall is finished.
Mexico paid for it.
Healthcare is now universal, great and cheap.
No. He pretended America was not great, therefore only he couldn't fix it.
Short answers, please. You have one minute. Go.
31
All of it is political maneuvering. Every congress person says that something is the most egregious. Calling out Pelosi is just a usual political stunt. It’s certainly something that both sides do often.
3
Rand should at least be censured, but of course that won't happen.
51
I'm struck that the GOP's attitude toward the Whistle-blower is very similar to the Chines Communist Party's response to the Doctor who tried to warn about the coronavirus - and just died of it.
70
Trump is the Carter of the GOP.
1
I used to have some respect for Rand Paul, but no more.
28
A critical need to find another name for what used to be the Republican Party. There is nothing “Republican” about any of them. The only remnant left is the tattered R.
21
It wasn't only Pelosi that was immature and unprofessional, but also her herd of white-suited neophytes sitting in the audience with dull expressions and not a single clap or ovation from them for even the Tuskegee airman who was over 100 years old. Sad and childish.
8
No class, his father would be ashamed. A moment of back slapping for violating his oath of office and stepping on the rule of law. He won't even get an honorable mention. A total lack of principles.
12
This is simply more hypocrisy, alligator tears from Republicans. It goes hand in hand with the so called evangelicals that turn their eyes away from all that this president and his administration has done. It's abuse of power, grift, greed and the continued sale of our nation. I would love to see all the articles calling out Trump and his administration trying to "make sense of it all". This is all very clear and the only thing left to do is everything we possibly can to get these corrupt people out of power.
19
My dismay isn’t Pelosi’s disgust with Trump, this is well documented and validated by personal and party behavior. If she stuck a finger down her throat to feign gagging at moments of disgust, at least that would have been directly connected to one of Trump’s claims. What bothered me was, in that speech, was the story of a Tuskegee airman, a veteran, a kid’s acceptance to a school and, yes, a real-life victim of a crime perpetrated by an illegal. It was their moments. They were honored and recognized by the highest ranks of US government “in the speech.” How did they feel when it was ripped to shreds? How did that act keep the impeaching Speaker’s hands on grips with what’s good for the country?
6
Mich McConnell has been largely responsible for shredding standards on Capitol Hill.
He should be exiled to the Galapagos islands
31
How about censure for Rand Paul? The man is a menace.
32
Since nobody including the author of the editorial knows who the whistle blower is how in the world can the accuse a Senator of naming them? This is complete and meaningless speculation.
5
Rand Paul is an embarrassment, not quite on par with the president, but an embarrassment nonetheless.
27
Republicans are deplorables. Also, with their deficit spending, very high priced welfare queens.
26
“For Southerners, transgressing rules was part of the point; it was a show of power.”
Consider this scene between two Democrats, John Rankin (MS) and Emanuel Celler (NY), on the floor of the House on February 8, 1945, as reported in the Feb. 9 NY Times: Celler had just criticized the American Dental Association for urging that religious tests be required for admission into dental schools, saying such a requirement would be un-American. Rankin then leapt to his feet and shouted in Celler’s face: “I am getting tired of the gentleman from New York raising the Jewish question in the House and then jumping on anyone who says anything about it…I wonder if the gentleman knew that 90% of the doctors who get on the Civil Service rolls are Jews and 60% of the ones we are compelled to accept in our veterans’ hospitals are Jews. Remember that the white Gentiles of this country also have some rights.” The Southern code of honor had obviously relaxed some in the 90 years since the Brooks- Sumner incident. Rankin was content to scream and shake his fist at Celler rather than bludgeon him with a cane. Progress continues to our own day: Rand Paul’s aggression is mostly passive. Doug Collins whooped and hollered during the recent hearings but refrained from beating Jerry Nadler senseless.
4
The depiction of Rep. Brooks attacking Senator Sumner is inaccurate, because Brooks snuck up behind Sumner to attack him; he was a coward, but many in the slaveholder South lauded him as a hero.
6
It is Republicans, and Republicans alone who are responsible for this state of affairs, and no amount of the kind of false equivalency the Times is guilty of can change that fact.
NO REPUBLICANS in 2020. NONE. NOT ONE.
37
These thugs are running the Presidency like a mob family. Speak up and snitches get stitches.
20
GOP = National Insecurity
11
Come on let's be frank here, Rand Paul is a jerk, and has been for a long time. Hence, a willing and natural participant in Trump's Republican dictatorship.
31
Wow. An op-ed that juxtaposes Rand Paul naming a whistle-blower to the brutal caning of Charles Sumner, a violent and historically unprecedented attack which left Sumner with brain damage for the rest of his life. I loathe Paul too, but come on.
5
Exposing the name of the whistleblower was an act of pure evil.
Should any harm come to the whistleblower, Rand Paul should be prosecuted for inciting violence--and as an accessory before the fact exactly as if someone who delivers a weapon to a bank robber is prosecuted.
If the whistleblower suffers financial harm Rand Paul should face a suit for damages.
We are taught that freedom of speech does not permit crying "Fire" in a movie theater. Similarly, Paul's irresponsible stunt was a deliberate attempt at causing someone who acted legally and patriotically harm. This was clearly assault--and certainly violated the whistleblower statute.
1478
@Mark Johnson
The man named is almost certainly not the whistleblower.
He's not defending himself because to do so would make it easier to expose the actual whistleblower.
34
@Jonathan Katz
Not sure how you think you know the named person is "almost certainly" not the whistleblower.
Even if true, the named individual has been targeted--illegally--and is now under threat.
Rand Paul has endangered the person named--who is innocent of wrongdoing in either case. Rand Paul's behavior is deplorable.
If the named person is not the actual whistle blower, their behavior would make them as courageous as that of the whistleblower, and Rand Paul's attempt at assault just as heinous.
170
Interesting that no Republican or Trump has tried to discredit the whistleblower. Must have been an insider with more knowledge about Republicans and now they fear information about themselves being leaked by the whistleblower
40
The only thing that's changed over the many decades is the party formerly known as Dixiecrats, now called republicans, have become much, much more extreme, to the extent they've torn up the Constitution and show nothing but contempt for the rule of law as they brazenly flout it.
As for Rand Paul, this being a civil forum I can not express my opinion of him. I will say, that should the WB be hurt in any way, shape or form, Paul should be prosecuted under any applicable law and fined to the fullest extent possible.
548
@Deb
The whistleblower was outed months ago. Why should Paul be prosecuted?
4
@West Coaster Because actions should have consequences. They used to, anyway. He took it upon himself to do so on national tv after being smacked down not once, but twice by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. He knew it was wrong the first time he submitted the question and he knew it was wrong the second time. Then he went ahead and did it during an interview. He was wrong, the Chief Justice made it clear he was wrong, and he did it anyway... just like a good Republican. That's why he should be prosecuted.
51
@Deb
It wouldn’t surprise me if they declared the south the winner of the Civil War.
That’d work for me. The north, or so least parts of it would be free to be free.
12
After enduring years of incivility from Donald Trump (the disrespect, the school yard taunts, not shaking her hand), Nancy Pelosi seized the spotlight and dominated the news cycle following the speech.
In that round, she beat him at his own game.
1236
It was so bizarre- visually spectacular. Pence sitting there - Trump unaware. Pelosi, wearing white, said it all. What all of us were thinking. I felt better after seeing that.
What a surreal time we live in.
55
@Mary Rossano
Pelosi played Trump's game but entirely to the benefit the Trump re-election campaign.
She apparently learned nothing from Hillary's "deplorables" comment.
When Pelosi tore up the State of the union speech, was she "declaring her disdain for its contents with aplomb"?
All of its contents? Including the several tributes to veterans and others who died for the country or overcame great adversity?
If Pelosi thinks “It was necessary to get the attention of the American people to say, ‘This is not true.’” What part of the speech, Madame. Speaker, was not true? How about some specifics?
By tearing it up and violating the entire speech, Pelosi had to shock, mortify and hurt the worthy who were cited by Trump for their honor and / courage.
Now Democratic candidates for the presidency, House and Senate will have to either defend, rebuke, or somehow whistle past her outrageous behavior. How unnecessary ... and perilous.
In addition, Pelosi has, for all intents and purposes, written the script for an onslaught of negative ads, micro-targeted and weaponized by Brad Parscale, that will be viewed by millions -- most of whom never watched the SotU!
They'll hear Trump extending compliments and goodwill to deserving vets, teary eyed survivors or victims of tragedy, with an overlay of Pelosi in white, ripping the speech -- and the heartfelt feelings of those individuals and the audience -- into shreds.
Leadership?
Not if the goal is to win in November,
7
Here's hoping she now uses that momentum to not just one-up the loser, but rush additional Articles for him—and In-on-Ukraine pence—as November nears.
"Moderate" Collins might even do the right thing with 'em, with her pleas to the loser to not retaliate ignored.
...HAHA, just kidding! She still won't.
5
We have our nation's first dictator. And we have learned a horrific lesson these past three years - that is, how easy it is for one demagogue to gain entry into a democratic system and subvert it by threats and brute force, so that those who are charged with representing all of us are literally terrified to cross him.
We have a Republican Senate that has just told us that it will accept any kind of criminal conduct and any extent of lying by "their leader."
And they have literally rubber stamped his activities that will rig this November's election. Oh, more voters may well vote for Trump's opponent rather than for him. And Dems may well eke out an Electoral College win. But it will not matter. We have had three long years to watch our nation taken over by a dictator.
None of this happened overnight. We were complacent. We thought surely someone would come along and "save us". Well, news flash: It's too late.
Perhaps we had some naive notion that a dictator would have to appear on the scene supported by some brutal military takeover. We never imagined that our open and democratic system of governance would invite in this mad man. But it has.
I'm in my mid 60's. I've lived through the Civil Rights era, the Women's Rights movement, Watergate, and the Viet Nam war. I've been an attorney for some 40 years now. And I am afraid for my country now more than I have ever been.
And I have no doubt in my mind now that Trump will leave only at a time of his choosing.
1534
@Roland Deschain I’m a retired public school librarian, just into my late sixties, and you are correct on all points. I fear that, by November, we will no longer have a democratic republic.
Europe believed our experiment in freedom was over when we fought our fratricidal Civil War. But I see no Lincoln or strong congressional leaders to pull us thru this dictatorship.
443
@Crockett Tavern
I am also a retired school librarian. During the assaults on the norms of democracy by Newt Gingrich, I was confident that the Republic would survive. Today, I do not have that confidence.
Aside from supporting Democratic candidates in Senate races and in marginal districts, we must vote as if our democracy and our lives depend on those votes because they do.
549
I fear the same. The republicans will back him. They will claim Our election - if we win- was rigged.
What system is in place to prevent this?
241
It is really quite peculiar that we would even be having a conversation about standards of decorum on the floor of the House, in light of the institutional breakdown that occurred the day before. Of course, that is only due to Republicans hoping that trotting out their scary Nancy Pelosi doll will offer a bit of a distraction, but it is still strange.
So let's keep our eye on the ball. All but one member of the Republican Party just joined Donald Trump in making a mockery of the Constitution, and this presents us all with a serious problem. After fretting about the possibility of one or another Constitutional crisis this entire administration, what we have just experienced was an actual breakdown.
It is now a matter of national security to remove the Senate from Republican control this November, in addition to showing Donald Trump the door, and this needs to break through the business-as-usual Democratic primary skirmishing.
I would like to see the Democrats remaining in the race adopt a common minimum platform and issue a joint statement to the effect that they will all throw their complete support behind the eventual nominee. They should be completely ready to do this since any differences between them fade to insignificance in the face of the Republican transition to lawlessness. Of course, primaries need to continue, but we have to make it abundantly clear that no Democrat is the enemy of another.
We are facing an emergency. Let's start acting like it.
976
@Bill Levine
“I would like to see the Democrats remaining in the race adopt a common minimum platform and issue a joint statement to the effect that they will all throw their complete support behind the eventual nominee. They should be completely ready to do this since any differences between them fade to insignificance in the face of the Republican transition to lawlessness. Of course, primaries need to continue, but we have to make it abundantly clear that no Democrat is the enemy of another.
We are facing an emergency. Let's start acting like it.“
Amen
178
I will enthusiastically back Bernie Sanders should he prevail. I will enthusiastically back Bloomberg should he prevail.
102
@Bill Levine - On February 2, on CNN, Buttigieg declared he would support the winner of the nomination.
14
But who cares if they don't do anything about it at the end of the day?
All the republican senators knew that Trump should be impeached but they didn't do anything about it.
The same will probably happen with this as well.
Knowing something is not enough - acting based on that knowledge is equally, if not more, important and the republicans have been missing the target consistently in that respect.
2
Since whistle-blowers are a very important part of democracy and essential in the fight against corruption, I find it peculiar that they more often than not are treated as enemies.
That is nothing new.
A functional democracy, a functional state needs whistleblowers, many of them. A whistleblower that alerts wrongdoing should be treated as heroes, not as traitors.
13
Mrs Pelosi understands successful game theory perfectly. Come to the table ready to cooperate (offering the traditional handshake), but if you are dissed, respond firmly (shred speech).
15
The thing I find so worrisome about all of this is that the partisan divide seems to now be just about power. But power to do what: increase pollution of our streams and water, deny climate change, further enrich the wealthy, support white male supremacy? While we are doing all of this fighting the real immediate world is moving on. My concern is that while we are fighting over political power we lose track of the real immediate world and get greatly harmed by not paying attention to what matters, which if we were cooperating, might be easy to address before getting out of hand. In the real immediate world is this virus, opiate deaths, climate events, and banking fraud.
5
Prof. Freeman tells us that "even some Republicans know what Rand Paul did was wrong."
It is the same trick that Sherrod Brown played a few days earlier. The title of is opinion piece was "In Private, Republicans Admit They Acquitted Trump Out of Fear."
It's a trick because --
1. It is unverifiable because the implication is that Republicans are too intimidated to speak up. So the authors can cover up their dissembling by arguing that they can't out their informants.
2. It contains no real information because there are a lot of Republicans out there and there will always be some who hold these views (just lie there are some Democrats who disagree with them).
5
Not enough is being said about the whistleblower and the public legal threats he or she is receiving coming from Republican congressmen such as Senators Lindsay Graham and Rand Paul. They want to out the whistleblower and "investigate" despite the fact that whistleblowers are protected by law.
It makes little since to "investigate" the whistleblower because everything he or she said has been independently corroborated by others so any potential partisan leanings are a moot point. Perhaps the congressmen merely want to yet again publicly display their fealty to the President. That's done often enough as it is I'm not sure why another act is necessary.
I wonder if instead the motivation is that they fully expect Trump to engage in more behavior similar to his dealings with Ukraine and the Senators want to send a chilling message to any future potential whistleblowers that their lives will be made very uncomfortable.
11
Kentucky's senators are something else. I can see why McConnell is valued. The fact that he doesn't really care about the country doesn't mean much to his constituents as he is effective and totally ruthless.
Rand Paul seems to be a Gadfly who really doesn't do much in the senate except make noise and quote Ayn Rand.
15
"...Mr. Paul’s actions were wrong, and some Republican colleagues said as much, privately admitting that they “probably” wouldn’t have done it."
I'd like to know who these Republicans are that think it was wrong of Mr. Paul to name the whistle-blower. Just as I'd like to know who the Republicans were who privately thought there should have been witnesses during the Senate impeachment trial. It's easy to voice dissent with the party if one's name isn't attached to said dissent.
The Democrats need to call out these feckless members of the GOP, hiding behind a curtain of "privacy" because they lack the courage to publicly stand behind their opinion, never mind act on it, in the face of Trumpism. At least the true Trumpers' actions are consistent with their opinions.
4
@willy: Perhaps “some Republicans” objected (privately) to naming the whistleblower because it is written into law that the identity of a whistleblower be protected, so Sen. Paul committed a crime. Speaker Pelosi tearing up Trump’s SOTU address was a symbolic gesture, whereas naming the whistleblower can and will cause real problems, and probably even danger, to the WB and family. Sen. Paul should be prosecuted.
8
Providing the wrong name helps protect the real whistleblower.
1
Providing the wrong name of the whistle blower would put the named person in danger as well. How is that better?
8
Picture McConnell doing precisely the same thing Nancy Pelosi did in reversed circumstances. What would the Republican reaction be?
Their yelping outrage about Pelosi “breaking their rules” is tiresome and boring. What they aren’t saying is that, since Pelosi is a woman, her quiet, clear, pointedly effective gesture has mightily offended their defensive, frightened, hypersensitive aging male sensibilities. All of a sudden “respect”means something to them. But Trump’s tweet digits and his snarling rally outbursts and outrages are somehow just fine with them, apparently in keeping with the finest traditions of the US presidency.
Pelosi harmed no one, threatened no one, disrespected no one. Her actions were directed solely toward words on a photocopied page handed to her by a man who had refused to shake her outstretched hand only a short time before. I found her gesture dignified, expressive, fitting, and extremely measured.
19
I find it very depressing that we have taken the “civil” out of civilization. I don’t remember much bullying through school, nor the level of rudeness that is currently practiced. Our president is making it all so much worse, and even Nancy Pelosi lost it. Considering what she’s had to deal with from him, I forgive her.
6
Just was with the Op-Ed piece from Senator Brown last week, to continue to make the claim that "some republicans" are not in agreement with what Rand Paul did is worthless without naming those that are in opposition. Anyone with any sense of morality, independence and objectivity would be able to tell you that what Senator Paul did was horrible and borderline criminal in that he places the person who had the courage to speak up in harm's way. I work in Trust & Compliance and know that in the United States there are laws that protect whistle blowers from any kind of retaliation so that the government can find out about illegal acts, and take action against the perpetrators. To have the highest echelons of our government (congress and the white house) decide to expose the individual AND place this person possibly at the mercy of those who support trump is the lowest form of narcissism and absolute immorality. If we are going to move forward and get rid of these sycophants in congress, it's time to start dropping names, just like Rand did.
7
Nancy Pelosi's tearing up her copy of Trump's speech struck me as little more than a fit of pique.
A far more striking expression of her resentment and displeasure would have been, it seems to me, to hand back her copy of the speech to Trump, as he prepared to exit the dais.
2
Context matters. Ten years ago, I would have said that this crossed a line. But, in light of the outrageous actions of this president and the Republicans who enable him, I think it was necessary act of defiance. Trump behaves outrageously every day. The majority of Republicans have followed him in his outrageous behavior. Defending him, if not following his example themselves. Trump has trampled our constitution, spit on our principles, and ignores political norms every day. The Republican party has followed him, doing anything they think they can get away with, regardless of the law or established norms. Pelosi's act should remind us that this is not ok. In this context, I think that powerful symbolic gesture was appropriate.
14
Don't expect any of the Republicans to so much as utter a peep about it. A more spineless group of politicians has never roamed the corridors of D.C.
14
Kentucky has produce the two worst senators in my lifetime. Something deep dark and fearful grips these two men who are apparently incapable of manifesting warm emotions for other human beings. I'm wondering if Mitch has a neighbor like Rand has.
14
The GOP making a propaganda coup out of (often distorted and out of sequence pictures of Pelosi tearing up Trump's piece of propaganda State of the Union speech) was never a comparison of a commitment to morals, honor, and common sense.
The GOP "heyday" attempted here is simple manipulation and distortion of known and provable fact. The GOP has not a worry about being *caught in this once illegal, (false advertizing) immoral, and grotesque display of propaganda technique, bcuz their Base *IS what even the GOP describes as the "low information voter", the people who will NOT be aware that these obvious shenanigans *are base lies which Zuckerburg et. al. will *not even attempt to counterbalance and control.
4
Revealing the name of a whistleblower who revealed government wrongdoing is what you would expect from a devout authoritarian or a supporter of government corruption. Senator Paul has revealed that his true allegiance is to the exact opposite of Libertarianism and small government.
11
Democrats used to pride themselves on being the adults in the room. What happened?
3
Trump didn’t write that speech, He could barely read it.
9
Does anyone know how many copies of that speech were given out?
1
The subtitle of this article on the front page reads as: "Even some Republicans know what Rand Paul did was wrong."
I had to sort of stand outside of myself to realize what I had just read. You can't make this stuff up, folks.
When almost half the country's political establishment is unwilling to call out breaking the law (and thereby becoming complicit in condoning such illegal conduct in the future) you know something is seriously wrong with the country as a whole, and the Republican Party in particular.
11
Just think if the outsized -- and negative -- impact of Kentucky's two Senators. They are a phone booth full of ego-driven partisan hacks.
8
Perhaps the Congressional tradition that should have been violated by Pelosi was inviting Donald Trump to give the address in the first place.
5
The Democrats hide behind the "whistleblower law" to obscure the fact that Schiff & the "whistleblower" met to plan the accusations that led to impeachment. The same happened with the FISA court & Fusion GPS.
If you believe in your accusations, stand up & say them out loud in plain daylight. When you don't stand up & and make your accusations in public, many believe you either have something to hide or the accusations are baseless. Even after impeachment, it is not really clear what happened during the Trump call to Ukraine or afterwards
1
@Houston Surgeon ... "Schiff & the "whistleblower" met to plan the accusations that led to impeachment."....First you cannot provide any evidence that what you say is true; and second, even if it were true, everything the whistle blower claimed was verified by other first hand witnesses.
Even after impeachment, it is not really clear what happened during the Trump call to Ukraine or afterwards. Only to someone who was willfully blind. Further, anyone who cared about the truth and needed more evidence would have called Bolton to testify under oath. The Republican Senate didn't call him because they already knew what he would say. (Lamar Alexander, R. Tennessee)
6
@Houston Surgeon
If it is "not clear" what happened during the call, could it possibly be because the White House refused to release any more information? Just asking....
5
Really, time for Rand Paul to be voted out. He's got yardwork to do.
12
This should be illegal, with severe penalties (jail & fines) for elected officials who do this.
4
Republicans are just starting to enjoy the intimidation they see they can inflict with impunity. Get used to it.
2
All Republicans know what trump did was wrong. What about that?
7
These Republicans know what Rand Paul did was wrong. They just don’t care.
12
The Republican party motto is "do as I say not as I do." Because once you give them a taste of their own nonsense back at them, they cry VICTIM!
10
In the congressional Oscars for sleaziest the undisputable winner is Rand Paul. Runners up are: Lindsey Graham and Devin Nunes.
15
Not by a long shot; when it comes to misconduct, Congress has a long history.”
Now they get bribed . They cheat and lie and they steal. Also there is something about abusing the interns. IN addition nobody questions them if they violate the oaths to the country. But they are popular individually in the constituencies they hail from . None gets thrown out also.
"ALLEGED LIES" ? re: para 6 of this opinion piece. Come on, is this an attempt at being fair and balanced, or what?
The media (the real unbiased media) should be telling the truth and not coddling maleficence in weasel words. The leader of the present administration of this country lies. That is a fact. He lies. He doesn't allegedly lie. He outright, indefensibly, and aggressively lies. He lies about his lies. He uses his bully (too aptly named in this case) pulpit to spread more lies about those who point out or even question the falsehoods that come out of his mouth.
Please let's just call a lie, a lie.
12
Rand Paul is a phony politician and his faux outrage at the whistleblower is for attention. He has become intimidated and frightened by the President like most of the GOP. He thinks he will score more points with the Prez instead of being in the short line of those who dare cross him. Wake up America. Each day a significant part of our democracy gets swallowed up by the swamp.
8
It’s nice that South Carolina can draw a line of congressional outrages across more than two centuries from Burke to Brooks to Wilson.
2
"Republicans heard that [olde speech shredding] message loud and clear, denouncing her incivility, accusing her of shredding 'decades of tradition' and demanding her resignation."
A complicit Republican Senate and Impeached barely-president can gleefully shred our Constitution, but let a Democrat tear up an olde, used speech?
"Treasonous!" they scream...
Oh, the Hipocrisy.
Vote. 'Em. OUT.
2020
11
When Ian Miles Cheong, the managing editor of Human Events, said, "It was the “most classless act ever conducted in Congress”..... He must have been excluding all Southerns and looking at "it" through the wrong end of a pair of binoculars.
3
Right wingers have no standards other than gaining and maintaining power by any means necessary. They utilize mass propaganda to great effect in getting their subjects to lick their boots while that same boot is firmly planted on their skulls. It's quite remarkable, actually.
6
Trump and the republicans will cheat steal and lie to stay in power it is their nature and Trump is vile and rotten to the core so he acts as he sees fit completely shameless. Trump had the impeachment witness Lt Col and his brother marched out of the White House as a display for other to fear if he had his way he would probably had them shot. Trump values war criminals as he may need the military to violate the law to keep him in office if he loses. Trump would rather set the country on fire than lose face he thinks he is that important and Barr/McConnell agree albeit for different reason. Lindsey just wants to be with the IN CROWD and would walk away from his idol if it helps him politically to stay in power what other job could he do besides suck up to power.
7
You are way off, this was picked up by the Christian superfund groups as a way to pick the pockets of Republicans donors because they are sooooo gullible and fall for it every time.
1
So you are saying it’s stupid to be stupid cause other people have been stupid before. Seems like kind of a juvenile way to defend her slapping American citizens in the face. I personally think what was done will define her as weak, petty, and, oh ya, juvenile forever. I would just say it is not N. Pelosi’s house, she is only occupying in place of the real owners, Americans.
@Mike... What Pelosi did was rude. What Paul did was illegal. Trump does things that are crude, rude, vulgar, and bigoted everyday and twice on Sunday. And Republicans stand and cheer, "Build the Wall", "Lock her up, "Send them back". But both sides are equally guilty?
6
@Mike
Americans happen to have elected mostly Democrats to the House in 2018. So while it is not "Pelosi's House" it is the people's House and it was the people who elected those Democrats.
And who exactly did she "slap in the face?"
6
She was quite classy. Unlike the pathetic Republicans, she did not cry out, "Liar!" as she might have. And Trump actually lied and offended the majority of people. Giving a racist like Limbaugh the Congressional Medal of Freedom? What next? Trump will arrest Pelosi for disagreeing with him? Give Putin American tax dollars awarded to Ukraine to create the bot that will win the election for him? Republicans bathe in hypocrisy.
10
More empty laws... "According to Michael German with the Brennan Center for Justice, the ICWPA [Intelligence Community Whistleblower Protection Act], 'provides a right to report internally but no remedy when that right is infringed, which means that there is no right at all.'"
There is no 'Whistleblower Protection Act'. It is just more empty gestures by legislators.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intelligence_Community_Whistleblower_Protection_Act
4
Kentucky...bring your men home because they are the worst. Rand and McConnell might bring back business but they absolutely do not care about Democracry. #NewLeadershipPlease
7
I called House Minority leader, Kevin McCarthy's, office on Wednesday after the odious Matt Gaetz crowed he was filing an ethics complaint against Speaker Pelosi.
I spoke with Jack, reminding him that his president has put children in cages, bragged about sexually assaulting women, attacked Gold Star families, mocked a disabled reporter, lied over 16,000 times in 3 years, sided with murdering racists and so much more, and yet the republicans have their panties in wad because Speaker Pelosi appropriately responded to his litany of lies, asking, "Could you people be any more ridiculous?"
To which Jack refreshingly replied, "Yes, I'm assuming we can..."
First time I spoken with McCarthy's office when a sliver of truth slipped out.
7
Mr.Rand(errand)Paul,if your behaviors are compared since impeachment proceedings began,you have just acted like a drunken idiot with cognitive malicious malfunctions. Compared to it,speaker Pelosi daringly showed disdain for useless lies penned/printed on few pages of papers full of lies.
By going after whistle blower agenda,you have disrespected the laws of this nation and disgraced the democratic norms of democracy. You need to be prosecuted for breaking the law of protecting the the identity of a whistleblower. Shame on you.
1
Rand Paul should be thrown out of the senate or at least be censored but of course the republicans have no guts and follow a bullying, racist, lying president.
6
Politicians, by enlarge, have lost the power of respect, politeness, ethics, and manners. The idiots, like Rand, show us just how low they can go and it is not pretty.
It is a one way street for the repulsives. Only they can do it. Should a Democrat do it, they would be pilloried.
3
Pelosi's little bit of theater is understandable but aren't we Dems supposed to be the grownups? It was known, going in, what we could expect from Trump and his boot-licking senate and Nancy had to know that we all are well aware of her feelings. The antics were childish, unhelpful, and feeds the dark
passions of the day. Enough!
1
Give Pelosi credit. She could have very appropriately wiped her rear end with it.
7
In order to participate in our national political discussion, I suspect that we as citizens must evaluate our nation’s current state. Reading hundreds of comments to this newspaper every day, there appears to be broad divergence regarding this question.
As a constitutional republican democracy, the United States of America is presently:
1. Healthy and functional
2. In a transitional process
3. On the verge of a constitutional crisis
4. In the midst of a constitutional crisis
5. Suffering one constitutional failure after another
6. A failed state. A dysfunctional democracy
I suggest this because responses to specific articles or op-eds are difficult to relate to one another. One comment comes from Lucy in Arkansas who thinks things are “Jes’ fine.” And the next comment’s from a Vermont man who believes, “The jig’s up. Democracy has lost. I’m outta here.”
Merrick Garland.
Fifteen thousand lies in three years.
No more press conferences.
Fake news. Enemies of the people.
The Suleimanl assassination.
The senate impeachment trial(?) farce(?)
The betrayal of our Kurdish allies.
Irrational fear of an unfit president.
Blind allegience to stunning ignorance.
Insulting allies. Fawning over tyrants.
Blackmail for electoral advantage, in the public interest
...
This list could go on for a very long time.
“You’ll never find the way to your destination, if you don’t know where you ARE.”
So. Help me out. Please!
Where are we?
216
@Tom W Great take!
Currently, 1 or 3; certainly there is an assault occurring. If by presidential term limits are ended or tried-we have more than 3 to 4 and beyond.
My take.
10
@Tom W Beginning with Merrick Garland and down the list I go, I must face the depressing reality that I believe we are at 1 and 3.
8
@Tom W
Trump should never have been elected president, but he was. His current actions should be no surprise as it was evident from his behaviour when he was just a candidate. What was the game changer was the 180 degree turn around by Lindsey Grahame and the rest of the Congressional Republicans. I believed it even surprised Speaker Pelosi as she thought that Republicans of good conscience would have backed the legitimate impeachment. Unfortunately to her surprise and our misfortune the Congressional Republicans care more about their reelection than the good of the country. There is only one remedy for that affliction and that is to remove them all from office in November.
77
With today's investigative reporters, instant news, and even those who would pay to know the name of the whistleblower, the name is already out there. Fear of a lawsuit is all that stands in the way of that name being today's news.
It is difficult,maybe impossible to reconcile Paul's stated Libertarian beliefs and policy positions with his actions of late. He has abandoned his individual' freedom of choice'
position , unless only men are intended to enjoy that freedom. He is not afraid of overarching government power. He seeks to give more power to a man whom many believe already has too much. He is fawning in his devotion to this man and willing to do whatever necessary to gain favor. Perhaps Paul sees this opportunity as his last main chance to curry favor and demonstrate loyalty to a misanthrope who values those qualities above all others. Paul has otherwise floundered in his attempt to make a mark and establish himself as a Senator of importance. He might be hoping for a cabinet position when that carrossel refreshes it's riders.
2
republicans were appalled. democrats applauded. i'm libertarian. appropriate gesture for her and extra points for an excellent performance. would be nice to have a government focused on performance instead of performing.
2
Don't forget the very first incivility of the night, when Trump refused to shake Speaker Pelosi's outstretched hand. Imagine if that had been the other way around, how the heavens would have resounded with cries of shock and horror! But apparently, as with so much else, when Trump does it, it's okay.
18
I was following this article until I got to the words “alleged lies”. What has been patently and demonstrably proved false is not an “alleged lie.” It’s just a lie. I’m beginning to think the press is responsible for this debacle of an administration more than anything else.
3
obviously what ms. pelosi did was not only correct but it got all these republicans to try and stand up for the lies that trump put forth.
first, the economy was not doing poorly until the orange lier came to office. that was a lie. obama created the upward growth of the economy that trump merely latched onto.
second, the economy relating to stokes would have probably grown more under ms. clinton for trump's childish trade wars slowed and stopped the growth at one time because of the trade was.
third, he is lying about the economy, meaning the gnp, being better than it ever has. trump never got it any higher than one of obama's quarters and during his running for the presidency he lied by saying he would get the gnp beyond 4%. that never happened and he hasn't been able to get it to 3%.
fourth, he lied that job growth is better than ever. the job market in obama's last 3 years beat trump's 3 years. period.
fifth, he lied about pensions being better than ever. there are over 2 dozen union multi employer pension funds that are in trouble, including the musicians union pension of which i will see a drop in my pension next year. the house came up with the hr 397 to rectify this issue, not trump, but the republicans are sitting on their version, the s 2254, and doing nothing to do the right thing to help these pension plans. trump just made up, as usual, his own view of what is actually going on.
these are a starting point, but shows facts not trumpian 'alternative facts.
10
I didn’t think Speaker Pelosi should have torn up Trump’s speech but I can understand why she did it.
I dislike anyone getting a tad close to Trump’s behavior. The Republicans have lowered themselves even lower to the basement now that DT is president.
The reason I understand what she did is after three years she had enough. Most of us have had enough of the lies, bulleying, and corruption. This is what happens when the leader of the free world has no moral compass or integrity . Almost everyone eventually gets sucked into Trump’s abhorrent vortex.
The standards are always set by the leader. Our president has zero decency, empathy and integrity. We are all in jeopardy of being sucked into his horror show.
I for one can’t take much more of this!
10
Pelosi tearing up the speech of the democratically elected president of her own country in full view will backfire. It’s another “deplorable s” moment and a giant gift to Trump.
The impeachment, regardless of the merits of the case, went nowhere because the public never supported it.
After four months of hearings and evidence, the general public, which includes not just partisans but, in big majority (far bigger than either base), independents, remained nearly equally divided, not nearly enough to pressure the Republicans to abandon support for Trump.
Why is that? How could it be?
Because, the public trusts the the corporate D-Party even less than they trust Trump.
The Mueller investigation for two years, with Maddow's daily flogging, impeachment proceedings, "resistance", etc., and at the end Trump is a full ten points higher in his approval ratings.
Great job.
I'm glad Democrats have suddenly discovered their support for whistleblowers.
In Obama's eight years in office, his Justice Department spearheaded eight Espionage Act prosecutions, more than all previous US administrations combined.
The only reason Liberals have canonized this anonymous CIA whistleblower is that he or she, and the entire clandestine apparatus, has implicated Trump, according to them "the worst President ever", who beat beloved Hillary.
This is, of course, ridiculous on its face, since both W. and Obama got away with war crimes, mass surveillance, and regime-change coups (for starters).
6
@Chris: How long do you think Germans would accept having their votes adjusted for where they live, and even nullified altogether?
5
@Steve Bolger
The USA was set up as James Madison wrote in 1787 as an Oligarchy 'Landholders ought to have a share in the government, to support these invaluable interests, and to balance and check the other. They ought to be so constituted as to protect the minority of the opulent against the majority. The senate, therefore, ought to be this body; and to answer these purposes, they ought to have permanency and stability.' They decided to avoid any hint of democracy. The USA today is a Plutocracy = goverment by the wealthy.......as is most of the Western world.
Germans are raised (fortunately) to be suspicious of authority and government, so they are much less willing to accept gaslighting and lying of their politicians.
As Americans we are propagandize from birth to death to love our Fuehrers, our oligarchs, our military, our antiquated form of government, our committing war crimes with impunity etc. etc.
1
So it is OK to get a president thrown from office, based on second hand evidence and never have to be asked any questions?
Just nuts,
5
republicans need to go back to school and learn the definition of Hypocrisy - At least Pelosi didn't shout out liar during the speech. (she'd have gone hoarse)
16
If she had torn it into little bits & tossed it like confetti that would've gone too far but I thought her gesture was spot-on: the speech wasn't worth the paper it was written on. And speaking of contempt, how about all those Senators who took oaths to be fair & just even though they knew the results were already set - because of the bullying that has come out of the White House.
19
@RKD "So help them God." I think all their claims about potential injury from public policy after death are balderdash, and it is a lie that the universe was created by a sentient superhuman with unlimited knowledge and power to begin with.
I would like to know if the "Whistle Guy" worked for Obama! Why is this a secret?
4
@JePense I would like to see read-outs of trump's conversations with Putin. Why is this a secret?
7
@Brian K - they don't exist - but you are welcome to request them. While you are at it please request the Obama-Putin discussions too.
1
Let's look at another way.
Democrats weaponized the whistleblower protocol in order to conjure up a hoax impeachment on Trump after their hoax Russia collusion scheme failed.
In 2018 Democrats weaponized #metoo in an attempt to derail the confirmation of a Supreme Court Justice. It also failed.
Whistleblower legislation and #metoo movements are necessary but perilous tools to expose corruption and wrongdoing. In the wrong hands and for nefarious purposes these tools, like FISA court warrant applications, threaten the very rights and liberties of people. Used as weapons they become the weapons of fascism.
And like FISA warrants, Democrats have shown us they are willing to act immorally to rid themselves of a president they have decided to hate. Think about that if Democrats gain complete control of your health system.
Progressive, not.
5
@K. Lazlo Hud
Just because President Trump and his enthusiasts at Fox News bombard the airwaves with the label "hoax" does not mean the impeachment investigation was actually a hoax. Far from it. There was, minimally, good reason to investigate the actions of the administration, and to question its arguably unprofessional and hazardous conduct of foreign policy.
20
@K. Lazlo Hud Let's look at it another way. Trump abused his the powers of his office, and Kavanaugh is a creep. The only reason the Senate didn't remove trump, and the only reason that Kavanaugh is on the Supreme Court, is because the Republican party have no morals.
3
I wish that "whistle-blower" the best--whoever it is. "Cause I missed that about Senator Rand Paul.
That is to say--
--I wish that person a long life.
Mr. Trump has got some pretty fanatical fans out there.
And some of them are killers.
Unashamed and unabashed killers.
I expect Senator Paul knew all about that.
I expect he simply didn't care.
And if the "whistler-blower" (which God forbid) gets "bumped off" or "eliminated" in some way--
--I would expect no end of tuttery from the worthy Senator and his Republican colleagues.
No end of hand-wringing.
To the now-deceased "whistle-blower" that would, of course, make no difference at all.
Incredible! that I should be writing this way.
Incredible! that we have come to this.
God help us all.
16
@Susan Fitzwater: Praying didn't move God to armor Nancy Pelosi against Trump. Why do people keep doing it?
This, AND the analysis applies regardless of whether Senator Paul named the right person!
Naming the whistleblower on the Senate floor where Paul is immunized from any legal consequences for any damage done by his revelation is the act of a coward. Rand Paul--you are a coward.
There is no legitimate reason to name him; his revelations have been confirmed by people with first hand knowledge while his was second hand. The only reason you named him was to do him harm. So if you must name him, do it away from the Senate floor and face the consequences for any harm that comes to him. Otherwise--you are a coward.
26
I am totally happy with Madam Speaker's expression of frustration during the SOTU speech. How can a president (and his boot licking party) that violates so many cultural norms be outraged by anything? Tearing up a piece of paper is barely a blip on the radar of the cultural airspace that has been violently violated by this president on virtually every opportunity. Nancy has shredding rights. Please proceed.
22
Imagine my shock at discovering that Trump et al are every bit as gutless as they are vicious.
23
What Rand Paul did in revealing the name of the "whistleblower" in crass defiance of the law of protecting the whistleblower, revealed for everyone the "smallness" of Paul (and here I am not referring to his 5'8" height but to regain some attention - which is always his first objective and the same as that of the president he serves) in putting the whistleblower and his family in peril, Thank goodness he is not a true reflection of libertarian thinking. His father never used his libertarian leanings to endanger another person.
13
@Tom osterman: Extreme Libertarians believe that law is illegal.
2
By not shaking the speaker's offered hand, the Trump only ratcheted up the very real and very factual notion that he is a man with no conscience. And no ethics, either.
17
@Alan C Gregory: Trump enjoys humiliating women, and boast of his exploits at it.
2
Rand Pauls exposing of the whistle-blower was not just classless it was mean-mean-spiritidness of an exception nature ……
Whistle-blowers protect our freedom, our democracy………They expose the abusers, the crooked, even Presidents who feign, disdane patriotism………
Senator Paul is one reason why whistle-blowers both exist and are protected by the law - or are supposed to be………
The Senator did both the person and the country a great disservice -
And sadly is too arrogantly dumb to know or understand……….
22
Rand Paul, crackpot Libertarian! His unmasking of the whistleblower is an example lawlessness. Paul is no hero. It is not his own safety he is risking. but that of another. Shameful.
18
This is false equivalency if anything is. She tears up trash, he tears up every bit of decency.
24
I do not think that Senator Paul's goal was to "prevent one potential informant from stepping forward, or even give one pause". The fact that he named said whistle-blower for other reasons, and ignored the possibility that doing so could discourage future informants, is why he is an idiot.
6
Gohmert is from Texas NOT South Carolina.
1
Republican Joe Wilson's "You Lie!" shout during an Obama SOTU was multiple levels lower than Pelosi's dignified protest.
19
"Decades of tradition?" "The most classless act ever conducted in Congress?"
What about "You lie!"???
10
Even Republicans hold Democrats to a higher standard than they do their own. They expect more from Democrats. It’s weird. Almost an implicit admission that Democrats are better people.
11
The opinion piece would have been far more effective if the long-ago examples had been left to the end, and the contrast between Pelosi's ungracious act vs Paul's threatening one had been up front and center.
4
“And when we see the originality of malice, the ingenuity of aggression, which our enemy displays, we may certainly prepare ourselves for every kind of brutal and treacherous maneuver....We shall not flag or fail. we shall go onto the end; we shall never surrender.”
What would Churchill say today about Americans who have given into treachery instigated by Vladimir Putin through his puppet Putin and the craven GOP?
Nancy Pelosi acted like Churchill in never surrendering to tyranny and treachery as are Mitt Romney, Doug Jones, Colonel Vindman and Marie Yovanivich. They are America’s heroes in defending our republic.
11
In my eyes, miss Pelosi is always a class act which cannot be said for 45 and his toadies
3
The sounds of echos in the chamber of groupthink sound so sweet
1
What we have witnessed is the emasculation of Congress,apparatchiks in the Republican Senate and intimidating cival servants serviceman and whistleblowers.This Individual who has a rap sheet from Draft dodging to tax fraud to just a complete scoundrel and his party backs him. We have surrendered checks and balance to a dictator.
12
The current Republican Party, comprised of men and women who are either deathly afraid of Donald Trump or complicit with him in his disdain for the Constitution and the rule of law, has a familiar modus operandi. The Republicans deal in false equivalencies.
After Donald Trump in his State of the Union Address used the opportunity to engage in an outrageous attempt to insult and bait Democrats, demeaning the whole purpose of the State of the Union tradition, they proceeded to argue that Speaker Nancy Pelosi, by tearing up her copy of the Trump speech, was the provocateur.
What nonsense!! While some Trump diehards around the country may believe the argument, every Republican Senator and Congressperson knows the claim is a cynical lie.
10
If shredding tradition means shredding lies I am for shredding tradition. Trump lies to manipulate the public and wraps himself in tradition to camouflage those lies. If as Timothy Snyder -- historian of fascist Europe -- one said, "Post-truth is pre-fascist" then Pelosi's act was in the highest tradition of polite protest for truth and for democracy. Trump violated the halls of Congress by speaking falsehoods. Pelosi reclaimed the dignity of the setting by trashing his crass lies. Wow! What a leader!
9
It's just another way to assassinate someone on 5th Ave without having to pull the trigger. The times should do a followup on what happens to these people after they are removed. Shattered careers, financial ruin, death threats,hiding out, etc. It's all because Trump and his Republican sycophants want power at any costs over the national welfare.
13
Didn’t Obama have ALL 8 of the whistleblowers arrested and prosecuted during his tenure?
2
Sharing classified information when you are in the military falls under different legal standards. Why is it always apples and oranges with Trump supporters?
5
Why is it the most sanctimonious among Congress are the very ones who commit and condone the most atrocious behaviour of serial offenders? The pathetic cast of characters want to out do themselves on calling out lack of character, ethics, morality and class when they possess none themselves. Nancy Pelosi used great restraint while sitting behind a vindictive, egocentric, buffoon who lies to the American people as a sport. The administration must laugh themselves silly at the end of each day over the sad sacs approval ratings.
7
How about Trump violating the Presidential Records Act almost every day by tearing up memos, notes, and letters?
Way worse than Pelosi preparing Trump's SOTU for recycling.
In fact, we, the U.S. taxpayers, are paying federal employees to tape together Trump's ripped up memos and letters in order preserve them.
https://www.politico.com/story/2018/06/10/trump-papers-filing-system-635164
8
Mr. Paul should resign.
11
@Ted Olson
Agree. Rand Paul and ethics mentioned in the same sentence is a perfect example of an oxymoron - with a strong emphasis on "moron".
2
Nancy Pelosi should have sat behind trump reading Bolton’s book!
14
A word of correction here.
Joe Wilson's cry of "You Lie" is actually a misquote.
Mr Wilson has a strong "country" accent and what he actually said was "You Liar" It is often heard in these parts "You callin' me a lie?" This actually mean means "Are you calling me a liar?"
It is all part of the accent. Come to South Carolina and you will hear it.
2
Not only was Pelosi justified in tearing up Trump's speech, she should have yelled "You lie" every time he lied. Or she and the rest of the congressional Democrats should have got up and walked out at the first lie. Republicans are destroying our country and all it once stood for by enabling a president who is not only a pathological liar but one with a malignant narcissistic personality disorder.
12
Methinks anyone who stands for Trump has no right whatsoever to lecture anyone about civics, and especially none of the Republicans who just cast aside their constitutional oath under God to protect an abject liar, a hypocrite, a crude insulting coward who hides behind his position, and a bragging bigot whose ugly divisive rhetoric is designed to rip the country asunder. Their childish, defensive, arguments are shameful. But then so is the lame Democratic response to them. Ripping up a few sheets of paper is not even close to what's needed here.
6
So, we can impeach a President based on an anonymous source and liberals have no problem with that? Really?
1
An anonymous source can lodge a complaint which leads to an investigation which can reveal information which leads to impeachment. The impeachment was not based only on “an anonymous source.” It’s exhausting to correct the poor critical thinking and outright misinformation being spread by Trump’s supporters. I wish the media would do its job so I didn’t have to.
12
@JGaltTX - (1) the identity of whistleblowers is protected under the law--look it up; and (2) the IG checked the WB's claim and found it credible, and plenty of witnesses gave Congressional testimony confirming and expanding upon what the WB allegedly reported. Whether liberal or conservative, we ought to recognize that whistleblowing is critical to protecting our democracy from people who abuse their power while in office, and it can't be effectively done if one's identity is revealed. Might you just be looking for punishment for the WB in this case?
7
Rand Paul went to Washington ostensibly to fight the power of the federal government. Now he deliberately seeks to turn the power of the federal government against a US citizen willing to blow the whistle on official wrongdoing. In doing so, Rand Paul completed his transformation into a fascist stooge.
11
Democrats will lose unless they show a minimum of self-reflective behavior. Nancy's planned temper tantrum disgraged her office and the Nation - and those honored at the State of the Union.
2
Rand is a disgrace.
10
It's all so tiring.... can someone please take the "high road" ? No wonder fewer and fewer care about our political process which has evolved into a 24-7 circus.
What happened to: “When they go low, we go high.” ?
2
@C. Williams When Dems go high when they go low, Trump's base get on the news with , "Yahoo!" When going low is fully recognized by the media, maybe then Dems will fall into line once again.
1
They shiv us in the ribs from that low position. Occasionally a downward block is needed.
2
I think the defence of Pelosi here gives too much attention and credibility to Republican claims and talking points which are not simply preposterous but risible. The so called GOP and its so called President are ripping up the United States, democracy, and the whole post Cold War, Putin-disapproved free world. So they are going to distract attention from that by defending a tawdry pile of toilet paper recording a cynical lying election pitch that Trump didn't, of course, even write. Ripping was too good for it. I am sure readers could think of more fitting and dramatic ways to send it down the pipe.
4
Louie Gohmert was in office in 2009 and he's still in office? what in the world is wrong with the voters in his state to re-elect that crackpot?
8
You would think that someone with an avowed libertarian bent like Mr. Paul would be a great supporter of whistle blowers as they often point out government overreach. It is one more demonstration of Republicans abandoning their long held beliefs to become sycophants to Mr. Trump, our Grifter-in-Chief.
14
If Roberts had a spine instead of being merely a spectator to Republican talking points, he should have ordered Rand Paul to be jailed for violating whiste blower protection laws.
8
Two words: Valerie Plame. Is outing intelligence officers to silence whistle blowers becoming the GOP playbook?
10
The most classless act to ever happen in Congress since the beginning of the twentieth century is the acquittal of Donald Trump.
13
@Gary It didn't happen to all of our congress: it happened to that "august" body we call, "the Senate."
2
Speaking of whistleblowers, I have not heard the President call for the identification of the person who leaked the Cliff Notes from the upcoming Bolton book.
Could it be because the WH already knows who it is? Or did they leak it on purpose, knowing it was going to be published soon, to see where their loyalties lie in the Senate?
3
Nancy, that was a brilliant gesture. It spoke the truth. You
are a positive role model for children. Unlike trump who
lies, cheats and steals. The US Treasury will be empty in
no time.
10
President Trump fired everyone who testified. The only person who still has their job is the whistle-blower.
What would have happened if the true whistle-blower was outed?
The whistle-blower law *was* important.
Unfortunately in the end, a sham trial was more powerful.
7
It's laughable for Republicans to criticize Pelosi for incivility when they tolerate and support the most incivil, mean, hostile, bullying politician in history - Donald Trump.
12
Expecting civility and comity in the current climate is a pipe dream. Pull the string on that is unravels the pants of one Newt Gringrich,
That said, I was disappointed to see Pelosi rip up the speech. Heretofore, she has been the definition of a cool customer. I admire that and her.
3
Pretty pathetic-an entire article written defending why Nancy Pelosi ripped up Trump’s speech.
Who cares - history surly won’t be highlighting that event.
It reflects how both parties’ conduct has deteriorated and ultimately embarrasses voters.
It’s immature - it’s childish - we have a big baby in the White House - and adolescents running Congress.
The actions of our politicians are a reflection of our Country.
My problem, the divisiveness is preventing meaningful legislation from passing. There is no support to do what’s best for all Americans.
Each party wants only its agenda followed and refuse to accommodate or negotiate.
Unfortunately it’s getting worse, not better.
If Trump wins again, I can only imagine how horrible the next 4 years will be - because of the hate and attacks spewed by both parties and the lack of overall cooperation.
What happens under an oligarchy? Innocent children die. Innocent people are tortured for "confessions" of guilt. Innocent people lose their homes, their livelihood, their reputations, forever stained by their "transgressions".
I should know, I lived in Japan during World War II.
6
There are only two reasons for naming a whistle blower whose report is independently confirmed:
1. Smear the accuser. Standard right-wing/crime boss tactic s. When you can't dispute the facts you smear the accuser.
2. Vindictive retaliation.
Laws protect whistle blowers? When has this president and this party let laws get in the way of what they want done? The end justifies the means. In fact the primary defense of Trump is that as president He is above the law. His acquittal positions Him as unaccountable.
9
Who is shredding standards, Indeed? It is long past time to face facts, though the Democrats are hardly choirboys, they have simply been out-slimed by the Republicans. I was able to watch much of the Impeachment proceedings and anyone who did, and was honest, saw the unending duplicity of the Republicans. The Democratic party was African-American, female, male, Latino, Asian American. The Republican's paraded one angry white male after another, each sporting some shade of blue, shirt of white and ties of red and each one seething anger and indignation. Republican's dating back to Nixon have been one sleazy disaster after another, Watergate and the lies of Vietnam, Reagan and Iran Contra, Bush I and the bogus pardons, Bush II and the Iraqi war and the 2nd worst financial disaster in American history and finally Trump and the destruction of what little decency remained. The hypocrisy must end, the attack dogs like Jim Jordan, the enforcers like Doug Collins, the enablers like Lindsay Graham and the obstructers like Mitch McConnell and the John Birch Koch's must be defeated. I wish these billionaires with money to burn, like Steyer and Bloomberg would spend their endless cash on winning congressional seats. It is time to put away ideas of comity, there will be none. Republican politics are and have been a cancer on our society and they must be stopped.
8
And then there's Lindsey Graham who could stand on the floor of the Senate and assert that after spending 32 million dollars in 2 years the Mueller investigation found nothing. An outright lie.
I find these faux rules regarding Congressional civility while speaking to be a farce. Call a spade a spade and a liar a liar. to his or her face.
4
Nancy Ripping Donald's SOU Speech
was an effective demonstration of baloney detection
and its explicit rejection for all the world to see.
"As an example of skeptical thinking, (Carl) Sagan offers a story concerning a fire-breathing dragon that lives in his garage. ...
"Sagan concludes by asking: "Now what's the difference between an invisible, incorporeal, floating dragon who spits heatless fire and no dragon at all? If there's no way to disprove my contention, no conceivable experiment that would count against it, what does it mean to say that my dragon exists? Your inability to invalidate my hypothesis is not at all the same thing as proving it true."
Wiki: "The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark", "Baloney Detection Kit"
2
What’s wrong with South Carolina anyway? The concept of equality of races seems to bring out the whipping tools, even in Congress. We are still at Civil War and it is still over race in large part. Why do you think we don’t have Medicare for All? It is chiefly because some people don’t want people who don’t look like them to have equal access to the same “pursuit of happiness” as they do. Trump felt Obama to be inferior to him because he didn’t look like an American, and therefore he hatched his birther movement in his little racist mind. Mark Twain quipped, “human beings are the only animal that can blush, or needs to”.
5
Once again Nancy Pelosi proves what an amazing intelligent woman she is. Completely made the point. However the big problem is your constitution has no power. It took 250 years but you've got yourself someone who knew how to break it and who is a bonafide dictator and she knows that and realizes the stakes involved if the Democrats can't come up with a strong leader and I think that is a big big problem. Good luck
7
"It was the “most classless act ever conducted in Congress,” Ian Miles Cheong, the managing editor of the conservative website Human Events, charged."
No, it wasn't, not by a long shot. I venture to say that the most classless acts conducted in Congress included McConnell's refusing hearings on Merrick Garland; the cries of "you like" during the State of the Union; Opening up Congress to an address by Benjamin Netanyahu to lobby members against voting for the Iran Nuclear Deal; and the presiden't recent State of the Union which more resembled a MAGA rally than a SOTU address.
9
Scaring everyone away from speaking truth to power — that’s the Republican way.
8
Oh, so now the Republicans are concerned about “classless”leaders and “shredding traditions”? I think I know where they can start to clean things up!
4
The whistleblower went to the Intelligence Community Inspector General to complain about what happened not in the intelligence community. Is it permitted?
1
Whistle blowers are not guaranteed anonymity. Columns like this are why so many distrust the main stream media and consider them an extension of the DNC.
4
"Fox commentator Jason Chaffetz said 'I have never seen anybody act so childish in my life' ... Sean Hannity called the ripping moment 'one of the most classless things ever done in the history of the State of the Union' ... " (CNN, 5Feb2020) The faux outrage of these pundits is pure chutzpah. They enthusiastically accept Mr. Trump's adolescent name calling (Mr. Hannity even egged him on!), blatant lies, and countless unfounded insults aimed at anyone who does not worship him. Hats off to Speaker Pelosi.
4
The parallel between defenders of slavery and the trump party are apropos: both are driven by entitlement, inhumanity and immorality.
7
Rand Paul is precisely the fire-brand ill-patriot he imagines opposing. He and Lindsay Graham and McConnell are brothers in the southern legacy of substituting special viscera for decent expression. They are great patriots, but only in the selfish causes of division.
Graham, in particular, has transformed himself into a verb, not a statesman.
Paul is a hopeless punk trying to communicate with his father.
McConnell is the generation's greatest proof that democracy must be protected.
4
“Republicans heard that message loud and clear, denouncing her incivility, accusing her of shredding “decades of tradition” and demanding her resignation.”
This is laughable from the party of the Bully-in-Chief, AKA the White House Tweeter and President In-Your-Face.
2
When Obama made a State of the Union speech, a Republican yelled "Liar!" That's when all the standards disappeared.
1
Republicans complaining about incivility?
This is a joke, right?
7
"Also of South Carolina" doubles down on the initial mistake of fact placing Louis G's ticket to Congress in the hands of South Carolinians. That honor belongs to neither Gohmert nor to SC, Texas having sent him.
Paul should be censured by Congress.
5
I was so angry when I saw my newspaper The Patriot News (Harrisburg, PA) with the heading Acquitted, that I tore it in half. Now perhaps I will frame it and submit my work to the State Museum's State of the Art exhibit.
4
All one need do is open what is now a tome of the uncivil, unethical, illegal, crude, vile, vulgar, tacky, undemocratic, un-American...things Republicans have overlooked in Donald Trump, William Barr, their own gross hypocrisy re: Bill Clinton's impeachment v. Trump's, while shrieking bloody murder if a Democrat jaywalks to know that that party is out of control and dangerously partisan at this point. That tome, btw, can be found right next to the unfinished book which documents Trump's 17,000 lies, and growing.
1
What a colossal disappointment Rand Paul is. He’s done more to damage libertarianism with his dishonesty than any socialist or communist ever could.
7
Remember Valerie Plame Wilson? The republicons have already made it okay to name people who are protected by privacy laws. They are just continuing down the same path already paved for them.
357
@Charlotte She was different. As I recall she was a spy.
1
Remember when Ms Pelosi offered to shake hands with vulgar Trump, refused by the latter...and leading for a tick- for- tack ripping off Trump's written speech by her (not his, as he is unable to get out of his incoherence, his trademark). The fact that it made some folks uncomfortable was the point. Paul's cowardly exposure of the 'protected' identity of a whistleblower was heinous, however much applauded by his republican sychophant hypocrites.
3
I lost my faith in American democracy during the SOTU address. That Congress people could laugh and applaud during this unhinged debauchery of lies and bullying and false claims was the tipping point... I realize now that an evil has descended on our land, and we are lost.
10
@Earl M History according to Trump was fittingly risible that night.
1
Rand Paul is a disgrace.
He's a senator from Kentucky who is not up for re-election this year, but will be in 2022.
4
Mr. Paul did not claim that anyone was "the whistleblower".
He merely claimed that two people possibly had info of interest.
Why would Justice Roberts refuse to allow a question of a person because he is accused, with no proof, of being "the whistleblower". Does Roberts actually KNOW who is? If not,
why act as he did? Unless he does know, why refuse to allow Rand to ask a question about any name?
We all know who the name is ...its been widely discussed,
including by Rand Paul.The is no way to prevent a Senator
from naming any name he or she pleases, so long as they do it
officially on the Senate floor, and that is absolute, in the Constitution.
In any case, given the nastiness of the Democrat's persecution
of the duly elected of the President of the United States,
and their record of past persecutions (Bork, Thomas, Kavanaugh) we the people have a right to know who they claim says he heard (indirectly, from somebody else not named) accuse Trump. And, presumably we do ... just not from
self-righteous hypocrites like the New York Times.
2
@Doug McDonald I do not like Roberts very much but, unlike Rand Paul, he at least retains some dignity.
1
What, exactly, was Nancy Pelosi to do? Stand by idly while the Don takes a victory lap, using the same lies, distortions and misrepresentations the Senate Republicans embraced as their defense for the indefensible? Hope that Susan Collin's impression that the Don would change was in any sense even possible, never mind likely? Madam Pelosi is not stupid, whatever you may think of her. I, for one, thank god for her, whether she prays for the president or not. As to the norms in the house or the Senate being shredded, they were only sustainable if both parties acted in good faith. The right no longer does, so why should the left? That would be stupid.
7
I read the howls of injured outrage emerging from the sensitive throats of jellyfish and can only think of a new oxymoron that trumpets the dissonance of hypocrisy.
Republican civility.
Rip away, Nancy!
8
Rand Paul persistent stupidity in releasing the name of the whistleblower can be understood only in the context of the Trump presidency. It’s not possible for any thinking person, regardless of political affiliation, to believe that endangering a whistleblower in any way is warranted. This defies the essence of the whistleblower concept.
But Paul, as we see regularly now, feels the need not only to support Trump, but also perform acts of obeisance—to subsume his moral conscience to Trump. It’s frightening that so many in the GOP are now willing and eager to go well beyond party allegiance to gain the President’s approval, selling their souls and genuflecting to get attention and approval.
I don’t know how the Rand Paul’s , Lindsey Graham’s, William Barr’s, etc. can recover any sense of personal dignity. They are lackeys to a petulant man who allows not a whiff of criticism. And they look like fools.
6
That the Republicans act like adolescents who haven't learned what irony is appalls me. But that nearly half the American people don't see through their paper-thin lies and misinformation is downright frightening.
7
@Rich You must be referring to Trump's base base.
3
It’s another example of the Trump Clan controlling the narrative, feigning outrage over a supposed sin against decorum that pales in comparison to the trolling and cursing that’s become ‘baked in’.
The president lies, curses, attacks private citizens and the rest of us worry that we’re eating with the right fork.
6
I'm sorry, did I miss something? Is there actually a single member of the GOP that has the astonishing audacity to complain about shredding standards and inappropriate decorum? Where do these people get their hutzpah?
Bill Maher concluded his interview with the vile and oleaginous Steve Bannon last Friday by saying, "I wish the Dems had someone as evil as you." Amen.
6
Thankfully, now that we know the identity of the alleged “whistleblower”, we know that in fact he is a political hack who consulted with Democrats to anonymously bring false charges against the President in an unsuccessful coup attempt.
How ironic that the MSM, suffering near fatal amounts of TDS, now favors secrecy, anonymity, and tries to conceal the very facts they used to try to reveal.
The media demanding gov’t employees be concealed from revelation - what a sad day for the press.
3
The press has always believed in protecting their sources.
3
Moniker vs Comment - Now I understand the full meaning of, "oxymoron."
4
@Informed Opinion
Informed opinion? I highly doubt it.
4
Pretty hypocritical of Trump supporters so concerned about proper norms of conduct.
6
Ironic and moronic. The Republicans seem to have forgotten how they shredded decades of tradition by failing to be impartial and uphold their oaths of office in the impeachment trial.
“Republicans ... denouncing her incivility, accusing her of shredding “decades of tradition” and demanding her resignation.”
6
So Pelosi, without saying a word, tears up Trump’s unhinged and utterly divisive SOTU and Republicans then call for her resignation in a hail of vituperation. But Republican Rep. Joe Wilson yells “You lie!” in the middle of Obama’s SOTU and the Republicans don’t say one word. Their hypocrisy knows no bounds. Furthermore, given their utter lack of a moral compass, they have no standing whatsoever to cast aspersions on Pelosi.
6
"she calmly, deliberately and now famously tore her copy in two and tossed it down with a shrug, declaring her disdain for its contents with aplomb."
.
Oh, is that what happened?
.
That's why they say a picture is worth a thousand words. Because that's not what I saw. Try this:
.
"She hysterically, classlessly, and now infamously tore one pre-ripped page of her copy in two, then another, then another, and tossed them down like a three-year-old having a temper tantrum, declaring to the country how TDS has reached the highest levels of government."
.
Pelosi's act was pathetic.
.
Don't even get me started on the entire impeachment shambles. It will live on as an infamous stain on US democracy.
2
What US democracy?
4
@West Coaster
You mean in her response to the 2 year old (and I apologize to all the more mature 2 year olds in the world) who was spewing one lie after another while ridiculously exaggerating his own alleged accomplishments?
As the saying goes: You're known by the company you keep, or in this case, by the company you support.
2
The most classless act ever conducted in Congress was Melania draping a medal around Rush Limbaugh's neck while Trump smirked.
An ugly, ugly spectacle.
Just like Trump.
We vote in 267 days.
D to go forward.
R to continue trashing America.
Did you see Trump's budget announcement this morning?
Over $420M in cuts to Social services?
Like Social Security, Medicare and SNAP?
Remember, Mitch McConnell gave Trump the green light to do whatever he wants. The Senate will not interfere.
Vote Democratic this year.
Every election, every office, every seat.
We need a huge turnout.
Vote.
9
If Sen. Paul were the Whistleblower, would he want HIS name exposed?????
Guess his “ loyalty “ didn’t allow him to think clearly.
5
Speaker Pelosi did exactly the right thing when she publicly shredded the words of America's premier baloney artist.
For years, the Grand Old Prevaricators and Trump have lied from morning til night without repercussions, thanks to America's unique tyranny of the minority system enhanced by Republican cheating, obfuscation, voter suppression, voter file purges, gerrymandering, the Electoral College and the undemocratic red-state Senate (America's biggest gerrymander).
Republicans- accomplished science denialists, contraception denialists, Birther Liars, trickle-down-fraudsters - clutching their pearls at Pelosi's honesty is rich.
How about when Mitch McConnell suspended the Constitution when a twice popularly elected President nominated a judge to the Supreme Court or when McConnell stopped the Senate from nominating any Obama-nominated judges to any federal court so that he could wait for another GOP-rigged election in 2016 so the GOP could rig the federal courts for eternity ?
But yes, that terrible Nancy Pelosi, how dare she tear up pieces of paper that advertised the precious lies of America's premier baloney artist ?
Republicans have been living in a Head I Win: Tails Democrats Lose world since they stole the 2000 Presidential election.
They're used to winning by every crooked, corrupt means necessary and yet are outraged if any Democrat jaywalks.
Hypocrisy has always been the most important Republican family value.
These folks have no bottom.
November 3 2020
13
“Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities.” —Voltaire
We are well into the “atrocities” phase of this presidency.
Pelosi will be regarded by historians as brave, noble, and deliberate. Rand Paul? Isn’t he the son of someone else named Paul?
5
So Rand Paul (“doctor”? maybe, but certainly in violation of the Hippocratic oath to “first do no harm”) joins the list of immature Congressional bullies—many of those listed here being from the (former) slave states of the Confederacy. So if you were a prospective patient of Paul, ask yourself “can I trust him to keep my personal information confidential?” The answer, manifestly (and proudly for Paul, it seems) is an emphatic “No, I certainly can’t trust him!”
3
@Lifelong Democrat
You don't even realize how true it is that no patient should ever trust Rand Paul.
After finishing his Residency, Rand Paul failed to meet the criteria for certification in the specialty of ophthalmology that were used by the only existing specialty board. So, what did he do? Did he study harder? Did he get more supervision? Did he go back to do more years of Residency or Fellowship? No!
He had the audacity to band together with a few rogue colleagues who couldn't pass muster. They formed their own "Specialty Board" & claimed that was as good as the real thing. Trouble is, no one recognizes it, so it gets absolutely no respect in the world of academic medicine.
Yes, Rand Paul is an impostor & a fraud. That reminds me of someone else who has made a career out of defrauding people. Someone whose initials are DJT.
3
Will Mr. Paul read this column? Probably not. Even if he does he, as with almost every senator and congressperson would never dain to acknowledge a mistake.
And Senator Pelosi's silent but dramatic act was in reaction to a speech packed with lies, mischaracterization, and grossly nauseating narcissism. She could write a book about it but nobody would read it. So she did what she could and the message rang like the liberty bell, painfully piercing the usually deaf ears of Senate Republicans and causing them to react in hypocritical and self-righteously indignant fury.
4
don the con lies 16,000 times (not counting the SOTU speech) and turns the event into a two-bit TV show.
he has been nasty, petty, insulting, and vindictive to practically everyone he meets - unless they gush his praise (e.g. hannity and limbaugh)
words and symbols matter - and tearing up a ream of lies is an apt statement
4
It wouldn't be surprising if the administration were to ask Putin to deal with the whistleblower - via nerve gas or polonium -in order to send a signal and intimidate everybody in the so-called 'deep state.' Entire GOP would be thrilled.
2
Didn't you know? Decorum, norms, civility, rules, laws: they're for chumps - you know, Democrats. Republicans do whatever they want and then get their knickers in a twist when someone has the audacity to call them on it.
4
You’re right. They shouldn’t have named either of the Vindmans.
1
My advice to the next person to witness a travesty like the one this president perpetrated: keep it to yourself. This nation does not deserve such courage and risk. We are run by the corrupt and scurrilous, and half of us love it that way.
Take your paycheck and go quietly home.
1
In the Trump Inc. Podcast, episode Sept. 18, 2019: The Family Business, there is an interesting interview with Solomon Larte (spelling ?) a records management analyst under four US presidents. He worked in the Office of Presidential Records (OPR). Federal law states that every piece of paper that crosses the president’s desk becomes part of the presidential record. Everything is forwarded to the OPR to be catalogued and filed. Everything proceeded normally until Trump became president. First, OPR found out that official docs were being thrown in the trash. Initially, OPR figured that perhaps T-rump did not know, so he was informed. That’s when Larte began receiving Manila folders of documents that had been ripped into ‘thumb-sized pieces’ by the president before being sent to the OPR. Larte said that the OPR staff were then tasked with painstakingly taping the docs back together, ‘like doing a jigsaw puzzle’. He must have been too good at that, because after 25 years, a top secret clearance, and three other presidents, he was informed that his top secret clearance would not be renewed (you’re gone). No reason given.
Speaker Pelosi ripping up the manifesto of lies is nothing compared to this.
2
Says it all about Republicans today watching them twist themselves into pretzels of indignation over Pelosi's act when their Puppet Master the president commits at least a dozen vulgar, juvenile or tactless acts a day.
6
Let me get this right. Libertarian-leaning Rand Paul outs a whistleblower and, with his fellow Republican murder of crows, squawks at Nancy Pelosi for tearing up a pack of lies spewed in her house during the SOTU. Meanwhile, Mr. 16,000 lies flies off to commit his next outrage. It is by this standard columnist Maureen Dowd declared Trump had a good week. Doesn’t seem right.
4
Trick question: Of the two South Carolina congressman, Aedanus Burke or Preston Brookes, which has the dishonor of prompting - for the civility and actual safety of the Senate, - the Senate rule that senators can't dis one another?
Buzz. Neither! It was two OTHER South Carolina senators, Pitchfork Ben Tillman and John McLaurin who, in 1902, got into a fist fight when Mclaurin called Tillman a liar and Tillman responded by punching the junior SC senator.
I won't even mention Strom Thurmond's wrestling match.
My congressman, Joe Wilson, continues this proud tradition.
1
Funny how those who really are committing the transgressions are so quick to project exactly what they are doing onto those who are resisting & trying to stand up for principles against the bullies.
The Republicans have this down to a pathological science.
3
Mr. Trump shows no interest in keeping governmental traditions alive, most glaringly his disrespect for the Constitution and the rule of law. His words to and actions against anyone who does not pander to his every whim, unless she's lovely, young, and vulnerable, can hardly be called civil. He abuses his position and his power. His blatant disregard for being truthful is an insult to every person and world leader dealing with him.
Nancy Pelosi engaged in an act of civil disobedience, and I, for one, would like to see many more members of Congress and his administration do the same. Her's was an act that showed respect for his position as president as well as her determination to ensure that he is aware of her refusal to be yet another of his toadies. Would that everyone who has an encounter with him would do the same.
Our economy sucks and he knows it. Our country is in debt up to our eyeballs, yet he golfs more than he works, while we pick up the tab, adding to the debt. Where is the improvement to the infrastructure?Where is the wall no one seems to want but him? Where's his healthcare plan? The job growth he brags about, from what I can see, is positions that barely sustain a family if the two adults are working two of those jobs each.
We need to let him know we're on to him. Rip a paper in two in front of his face whenever you get a chance. Maybe it'll catch on.
7
This vulgar man, who refused to shake hands with The Speaker of The House, and his supporters (or thralls, which seems more appropriate these days) deserve no decency, no better example, no pretense that this is normal.
Why? Because we are in a war for the very existence of our democratic republic. Not the "soul" of the Republic but the Republic itself. And we're on the very brink of losing it now that Trump knows there is NOTHING he can do that can "merit" removal by Republican senators. Even a senator who had his wife dissed, and his father accused of the HIGHEST treason: Aiding in the assassination of a President, didn't have the guts to say what he knows: Donald Trump is unfit to be President!
Only Mitt Romney could say what enough of them know, but they are far too worried about their seats that they'll let the Republic be destroyed and a dictatorship, with a REAL Caligula-type tyrant, replace it.
11
Paul's exposing the name will serve to disincline others to come forward. But retaliation towards people who report wrongdoing has been going on inside many U.S. agencies all the years that Trump has been in office.
4
Money runs all three branches of the government. Citizens United, 14,000 lobbyists in Washington, endless wars, oil pipelines, a mass media that conflates the stock market with the common good... What the “truth” is will be pounded into whatever shape those that have purchased the body politic want it to be.
2
The modern Republican/Trump party has become the opponent of truth and justice.
Paul naming the whistle-blower, the AG defending the crooked POTUS, the Donald punishing all who had the temerity to expose his fraud "investigation" are all examples of a Government that considers we the people it's enemies.
The question in my mind is when will The Donald commit his next act of treason?
Could he be the first POTUS to be impeached twice?
5
From my view, President Trump was the one shredding standards with the profusion of lies and absurdities contained in his state of the Union address, as well as his designed incivility towards Speaker Pelosi prior to the speech.
The symbolic shredding of the text of that asinine and embarrassing address was restrained under the circumstances.
8
Very easy to answer your header query...
Mitch McConnell (R-KY) has destroyed the process of lawmaking by stalling/preventing over eighty bills from the House of Representatives to reach the Senate floor, thus preventing Congress from doing the people's business.
6
@Bicoastaleer on the Wabash Mitch McConnell is emblematic of all that's wrong in DC - Mitch *is* the swamp.
He became the swamp during the Obama years with his shameful vendetta against the man. History has a place for politicians like McConnell and he will be in conspicuously rare company like Nixon and one or two others.
4
But are jailing them worse than simply naming them ? Did Obama set a better example on whistleblowing ?
1
Abraham Lincoln had the best characterization of current GOP behavior (oh the irony). It was delivered in his Cooper Union Speech in New York City on February 27, 1860. Speaking of the Southern Aristocracy he said:
"The facts with which I shall deal this evening are mainly old and familiar; nor is there anything new in the general use I shall make of them...."
"Your purpose, then, plainly stated, is that you will destroy the Government, unless you be allowed to construe and enforce the Constitution as you please, on all points in dispute between you and us. You will rule or ruin in all events."
The GOP of today has devolved into the Neo-Confederate Party of the United States of America.
5
Ms. Pelosi shredding her copy of Mr. Trump’s SOTU manifesto of mistruths was not nearly as egregious as his blatant lie accusing her of an illegal act. Project much, Mr. President?
6
The Republican party is full of secrets.
A few have been outed over the years.
One example is how Russia is now one of its biggest donors via its resuscitation of the NRA.
These secrets are not just limited to the party as an organization but also to its members.
One day soon, we will know Rand Paul’s
secret — and it will be via a Russian info dump the second they have fully coopted this corrupt party and have no more need of its marionettes.
It will be very beautiful to behold.
3
When I read morally-satisfied articles like these, I can never help but realize that the peddled narratives are always molded by whatever means necessary to fit nicely to and proselytize the already decided-upon point of view. No matter what occurs in reality, sanctimonious liberals and conservatives both will interpret it in whatever way confirms their infallible beliefs and moral high-ground, and then they will present it as indubitable fact. To paint Rand Paul's outing of the whistle blower as a bold and bullying attempt to "scare off all future whistleblowers" (you make meek Rand Paul sound like Luca Brasi) conveniently ignores the fact that multiple reports have shown that the whistleblower had professional ties and a previous relationship with Joe Biden; which, whether juicy or substantive or not (probably not), would be jumped on and thoroughly "investigated' by, you know, the fearless journalists of the NYT, were the tables turned and it was Republican blowing a whistle on a Democrat. In my view, the two parties and their groupthinkers at the top truly deserve eachother...the intellectual character of Liberals is essentially Sean Hannity wearing blue instead of red, refined with P.H.D. language and an aura of moral grandiosity. This is all to say: in American politics is two sides of the same coin.
4
Rand Paul did his Trump supplication by naming the whistleblower. Trump will do what he promised to help him. Sounds like another quid pro quo.
The smart question is not who is the whistleblower but why did the intelligence inspector general determine the complaint was valid? He could have stopped the process at that point but didn’t.
“Not later than 14 calendar days from receipt, the responsible IG must report all complaints that the IG determines are CREDIBLE to the head of the intelligence element, along with all supporting material.”
Obviously Rand Paul isn’t a genius in the Trump stable. He’s a pathetic excuse for a lawmaker. Just like the rest of the Trump stable geniuses (neigh sayers).
Ripping up a speech compared to naming names is in a vastly different ethical universe. the latter being unethical and the former being a stunt with no ethical ramifications.
2
Whether it's Rant Paul or your Aunt Pauline, obey the law... or pay the price. Trump's enablers are co-conspirators.
1
And Senate Republicans voting to acquit Trump and thereby shredding the Constitution is much, much worse!
3
"These are the sins that should merit our outrage." ----
--- The problem is --- most times --- outrage brings out the WORST behavior in people. This is the most significant and most serious consequence of having a hateful person in the oval office!
Trump's enablers are most times worse than he, laughing and cheering his hateful rhetoric.
The problem is, Trump needs to be removed as soon as possible, one way or another.
The problem is, I'm not suggesting a violent solution --- but Trump often does exactly that --- suggest a violent solution.
For example, Trump jokes with Putin about killing journalists, like the butchering of Jamal Khashoggi .
We know what to expect from now on, don't we! More violence, more journalists and honest truth-tellers will be killed again and again.
Also, more ''outraged' parents whose children die in school shootings will be removed from the gallery during our NEXT president's PHONY state of the union address.
"These are the sins that should merit our outrage."
The problem is, . . . a few are guilty, but all are responsible.
So, we know who is guilty don't we --- so --- where are Trump's tax returns?
4
Don’t you understand... if it’s good for trump it’s ok. And the sooner we all get used to that the sooner the re-education camps for those who are not paying attention can open.
2
The answer to pretty much everything that's wrong in American politics is "the Republiucans."
I'm sick and tired of false equivalences.
Are the Dems angels? Of course not.
But they never stole a seat on the Supreme Court. They never refused to work with a president they way that the Republicans refused to work with Pres Obama. They never pushed ridiculous conspiracy theories and outright lies (like Pizza Gate, Birtherism, Swift Boat, Seth Rich, Vince Foster, etc.).
And let's stop comparing what led to Trump's impeachment to what Bill Clinton did: Clinton merely lied about an affair, whereas Trump extorted a foreign govt for his personal gain.
It's time for us to stand up to the lies and the false equivalences! Just as the North didn't cause the Civil War, the Dems aren't the root cause of today's broken system.
6
Recklessly violating sacred values and norms is another form of fear mongering and it works. We fear those who have no moral core. Obviously Rand Paul and Donald Trump have no moral core. Donald Trump is obviously projecting when he refers to Nancy Pelosi as "evil". I've watched his public displays of disgusting behavior toward women for well over 40 years and if anyone is evil, it's Donald Trump. But he scares people and now he has power.
2
Professor Freeman is the best historian of Congress there is. Revealing the identity of a whistleblower should be illegal & Senator Paul should at least be censured, if not removed.
3
Speaker Pelosi has come to realize that ethical standards and respect for the truth have been so badly abused by this president that symbolic interjection or legislative restraint is necessary. The Nancy-shredder optical-meme is a humiliating but just comeuppance for this president that is well-served and long overdue. Even so, her actions are well short of the full-throated Joe-Wilson style ("You Lie!") denunciation of the president in mid-speech.
I wonder what public outcry a similarly positioned man would have received had he expressed such resolute strength with the outspoken manner and dramatic piquancy that Nancy has shown? He would have been the darling of the Sunday morning talk shows.
I can guess that in addition to the usual fare of hyperbole, hate-mongering, and outright lies, Pelosi probably bristled a bit more than usual at Trump's travelling-carnival performance style of last Wednesday night. The staged introduction of the returning servicemen dramatically surprising his wife felt tacky and cheap. My eyes glazed as with a rush of expectation as the Don thrilled them with his titillating mendacities like so much glitter and glam, and you win ... !!
And like most people sitting at home watching the SOTU, I know that my American life is not a TV game show. I want a serious president, not some carnival clown who juggles truth and lies.
I admire a strong woman with a quiet voice who is able to knock this clown down to size.
5
Firing Vindman and especially his brother was retaliation under the whistleblower law. Trump should be impeached (again).
3
There are only two reasons for naming a whistle blower whose report is independently confirmed:
1. Smear the accuser.
2. Vindictive retaliation.
Smearing the accuser, accusing the accuser is standard right-wing/crime boss tactics. When you can't dispute the facts you smear the accuser.
Getting back and getting even are just age old vengeance to get even.
Laws protect whistle blowers? When has this president and this party let laws get in the way of what they want done? For them the only law is "The end justifies the means". In fact the primary defense of Trump is that as president He is above the law. His acquittal positions Him as unaccountable.
6
What Rand Paul did is absolutely shameless. I can think of nothing more damaging to our democracy. Of course, he, being a senator has special protections. And our president, of course, has the best protection on the planet. But what about our ordinary citizen, the WB, who had the courage to call out what is by all honorable standards, an abuse of power? If we become afraid to speak out all is lost. We will descend into fascism. We may already be there.
6
It is hard not to look on slack jawed as Republicans get their collective knickers in a twist over Pelosi's "incivility" and disregard for decades of tradition.
This is the same party that denied a sitting President the opportunity to nominate a Supreme Court Justice - a power granted by the Constitution.
Yes, members of both parties have displayed a lack of civility - our Congress seems to be made of both petty and spineless people. BUT - the GOP keeps shredding traditions, hypocritically changing tactics when it suits them. And like Paul, undercutting the law whenever it gives them and advantage.
Pelosi only ripped up the transcript. She didn't hand it out as toilet paper the next day.
4
In regard to Paul's outing of the Whistleblower: why did the ex-Republican party want to know who he/she was? They did not call ANY witnesses, so they were not looking for testimony. Obvious to all but TotalTrumpers, they only wanted to punish that person for standing up to the little tin god.
3
Pelosi tore up the SOTU address behind Trump's back. He did not know what was being done, nor did we viewers, until we were told by the media later. Not a very powerful statement, and really she looked like a petulant child. Much more powerful would have been a Democratic boycott of the SOTU. Or, Democrats walking out during the SOTU. Or holding up signs stating LIAR. What is so incredibly frustrating is that the Democrats did not have a strategy for the SOTU. They showed up again this year for a President who does not deserve our respect. Democrats sat there and looked like fools. Their complacency gives power to Trump.
1
I am looking forward to voting straight Republican this coming fall.
Pelosi's boorish behavior at the end of the SOTU speech was just one more reason why.
As bad as Trump can behave, he rejects socialism.
1
That’s a pretty bad choice. Is Trump the only choice you can make? Aren’t there other Republicans that could do the job?
You don’t have to stick with an admittedly Bad leader.
The calls for “socialism” are overblown.
Again, if the economic system was working for everyone there would not be calls to change it through the
Government.
Why don’t the business leaders just pay people more? These are the real questions that Democrat or Republicans aren’t going to change. Business leaders need to start acting like it. Instead they are acting like Kings with their castle and peasants aplenty.
Republicans elected Trump on the same reasons democrats are leaning toward “socialism”, there isn’t much difference in the motivations. Pretty soon we will all realize that. The system isn’t working well. Americans can fix it if we quit depending on elections to fix everything. People just need to treat people better. Trump is not a leader that can do that. Trump isn’t the business leader he’s cracked up to be, he can’t even balance a budget. No one has been able to do that , he’s no exception. Try someone else. His tax cuts were supposed to “pay for themselves” with higher revenues, but the debt is ballooning out of control. Not good. He’s got some ideas but kills support when he distrusts everyone, changes his mind and then says he didn’t , fires everyone, puts everyone down who disagrees and generally acts like a donkey.
4
@ Prof Stewart
So you are against taxpayer funded roads and repair work, trash pick up, fire and police, water mains, sewers, and so on, not to mention public schools. All are paid for by taxpayers for the good of society.
Got it.
1
@ProfStewart
You call call her behavior boorish but you can overlook his disgusting, incompetent, lying, degenerate behavior. That's just pathetic.
I guess the columnist here is saying that we can excuse Pelosi's behavior because other jerks have done the same or worse in Congress. Sad reasoning. Trump can be an oaf but she had an opportunity to show she isn't--she didn't. Poor example for our young people growing up. "Oh, I didn't like the report card my teacher gave me so I tore it up."
2
I have a very modest proposal for resolving disputes within and between the three branches of our divided limited different power constitutional republic of united states.
These prancing preening pretending parading legislative, executive and judicial peacocks and peahens constitute a pretty pathetic plutocrat oligarch American royal caste.
They could very easily redeem and redefine themselves in the minds of the American people by bringing back dueling as an honorable means of setting their partisan political disputes.
Televised on pay- per- view or reality TV?
1
Rand Paul is typical of Republicans nowadays, completely immune to any feeling about those he hurts, like the whistle-blower and his family. He has become fanatical and hate-filled, like politicians we read about in the Philippines or China. But what Paul showed was the complete inadequacy of protections afforded whistle-blowers. His or her name should have always remained redacted. But of course this is what the phony, grifter "administration" wants: all government employees terrified of reporting wrongdoing. We are becoming the Banana Republic of America.
2
Rand Paul had no formal role in the impeachment process. I honestly think, what drove him to do this was his fragile ego needed some limelight. Paul is a child that insists on his “full share” of attention and he wasn’t getting it.
For us mere humans, it is hard to imagine how fragile some of these people in Congress are, and their need for the spotlight, that they think they deserve. It’s rather pathetic and sad.
1
I suspect that Rand Paul and that man squatting in the White House will both be immensely pleased if one of trump's unhinged supporters assassinates the whistleblower.
For Paul, it'll be a chance to be the POTUS pet - that is, until trump turns on him, as he inevitably turns on everyone. Just because he can.
2
I am sick & tired of the doctrine of false equivalency which permeates so much of the mainstream media. It has been painfully obvious for several years that Republicans stoop much lower than Democrats in the practice of political gamesmanship. Trump's blatant intimidation of witnesses should have merited a flood of disapproval, yet GOP Senators rewarded his misconduct by voting almost unanimously to acquit him.
A Democratic president would never have been permitted to engage even one percent of Trump's shenanigans without being resoundingly impeached & removed from office. Democrats still have somewhat of a conscience. Republicans lost theirs completely when they became the party of Trump. The media needs to stop pretending otherwise.
4
"Winning through intimidation" was a book about how not to let the bullies of the world dominate oneself or others. It was not an instruction manual of how to do it. Shame on Rand Paul. The false libertarian is nothing but another craven Trump toady.
2
'But was it? Not by a long shot'
But was it?
Yes, and by a country mile.
The reason is that the Democrats have painted themselves as the party of reason, civility, the 'am better than you' and such high minded concepts to prove they are the better human beings in the room.
Then She who should not be mentioned, goes and does an act that if done by the Reds would be headlines for months.
You cannot tell every one you will go high when they go low. Then act like them.
If you do, then you are no better and your ideas and actions are as bad as the other. In this regard she went lower than them, thus the answer to 'But was it?', becomes a resounding yes.
1
@AutumnLeaf
In that same vein, it's interesting to note that there is nary a peep from the Venerable Gray Lady, paper of record, about Biden's calling a young woman a 'dog faced pony soldier'. As recorded on video as it happened.
Say what ?
@AutumnLeaf
Sorry but you can't get lower than the current flock of Republicans who are bending over backwards to let their supreme leader do whatever he wants to do, to whomever.
Lovely example of “whataboutism.” Obviously, the fact that there are multiple examples of classless congressional behaviors hardly excuses Pelosi.
1
There is no bottom to how low Senate and House Republicans can go. In as much as they could, they obstructed justice for the entire process of the impeachment. Meanwhile, nothing that the whistle blower’s report alerted them to was ever proven to be anything but completely true. They voted to acquit, contrary to fact and law, out of loyalty to their crude, criminal, bigot, bully leader. Now as sore winners, they wish to punish anyone who would remind them of their criminal negligence. Nancy Pelosi tore up a piece of paper. They’ve torn up the constitution and any notion of basic human decency.
2
" ... she calmly, deliberately and now famously tore her copy in two and tossed it down with a shrug, declaring her disdain for its contents with aplomb." "Calmly" Really?! With her eyeballs rolling around like marbles, Pelosi was shaking like a leaf in a fall breeze. Her upper dentures were rattling and seemed destined to flee from her mouth. You may reference past on the House floor calamities but that does not make her childish behavior any more acceptable especially when democrats claim to take the high road.
2
Kentucky can be proud of their Senators.
1
"......bullying people into silence is quite another...... It warps the balance of power between Congress and the executive branch, and smothers the protections that make government go."
It has already happened. According to the very stable genius, Article II of the Constitution lets him do whatever he wants to.
Were is the "Be Best" Melania when we need her great anti-bullying initiative? Oops, she learned her mastery of the English language from a man who murders his own native language on a 24/7 basis
1
Being from Texas I sadly have to point out that Congressman Ghomert comes from Texas. I've called his office on a few occasions to complain about his outrageous remarks. I've only been in Texas for 2 years it's embarrassing to say that I live in a state with people like him to represent Texas.
2
The destruction of our politics goes deeper than Trump. The groups destroying America are: whites over 55; Christian Right; super conservative Catholics; Republicans; Fox; right wing radio; the rich who live off of dividends; foreign right wing leaders; and right wing etc.
1
There isn't a word in the English language that can aptly describe the modern GOP. Many come to mind, but none of them would get past the moderators because, in this paper of record, comments are edited for civility. And that's precisely the point isn't it?
No expletive laden rant, no excoriating ad-hominem diatribe, no concoction of derisive rancor, no unexpurgated rhetoric, could fully express the essence of what the Republican Party has become, or what it represents. Nor could it capture what they have done, and continue to do on a daily basis, to this once great nation.
How can one retain civility while trying to accurately describe that which is inherently not? All one can really say is that the modern GOP is truly - beyond words.
1
Ethics, as daily “menschlich” life lived with self and others,
in diverse environments, situations and systems, becomes
transmuted into helpful laws, regulations, traditions, beliefs as
well as religions enabling equitable well being for all of us.
“Right” and “wrong” are semantic markers for people. Cultures.
Nations. Systems. Whether “whistle-blowers,” a semantic
description are actually legally protected by...and from...is a
topic. Putting someone’s life, limbs, etc., in harms way is a reality.
Whether IT is a crime, or not, is an additional topic.
Laws, as living expressions of ETHICS is a reality.
That laws have been,are, can be in the future, unethical, and ummenschlich, is another daily challenge to be lived with.
Hopefully to be overcome. Learned from.
What Rand, the person, the policymaker, in his various Identities and Behaviors, and exemplifying so many, many, other fellow human beings, did was Wrong.
Not Right.
Not an error!
Not a glitch!
Not a mistake.
An ethical and moral...
Enabled, and even fostered, seeded andharvested in an IMMORAL
WE-THEY culture and society.
Anchored BY all too many “unaccountables;” be they complacent about...or complicit in...
When “ethics” languishes in semantics, and not in daily living
“ We the People...” is but a mantra.
Policymakers become Predators.
Ms. Nancy Pelosi has seen fit to debase herself to Donald Trump’s level of scruples. She has thus proven that she is no better than he is.
Congratulations, Madam Speaker.
3
You can’t go around and complain about the President”s uncivil temper tantrums and turn around and condone Ms, Pelosi’s embarrassing behavior.
3
@Robert
The two are hardly equivalent. Donnie's temper tantrums, while not expected from an alleged adult, are certainly not acceptable or appropriate from the president of what used to be a highly respected leader of the free world.
1
Exposing whistle blower, removing Vindman, threatening tweets all designed to scare off anyone else with the mountains of wrongdoings by this administration. Don’t reveal or else. Ripping up a speech filled with lies seems a logical action.
4
It would be nice if everyone would try to be civil but I'm afraid the genie is out of the bottle.
50
@gregdn Civil?????Wake up Greg, The GOP has been using every dirty trick playbook since Nixon and you want to be civil? Obama is a gentleman and was treated like garbage by the GOP with no respect or class.....remember Merrick Garland? Wake up, stop bringing a knife to a gun fight.
20
So, should we look just to the law as a remedy when our government violates what is right? McConnell did not break the law by withholding Senatorial “advice and consent” on Judge Garland’s nomination. Was it right? Trump says he broke no law when he asked a foreign country to announce an investigation of a political rival. Was it right? Many Republican lawmakers have claimed that Trump’s gutting of environmental regulations does not violate the law. Was it right? When the Border Patrol put children in cages, many Republicans say it was legal. Was it right? Right here in these comments, many have said that Rand Paul’s outing of the whistleblower was legal. Was it right? Trump has said that Article 2 allows him to do whatever he wants. Was that right? And this is just a small sample of such things.
As I used to remind my students in my history classes, all three governments of the Axis Powers in WWII came to power legally. And when they took total control, it was again legal, because they had, through regular governmental means, set themselves above the law after coming to power. The Holocaust was done legally, the German government passed the laws according to its legal proceedings. But that not make what they did right.
If we acquiesce to all of what our current administration has done, how do we differ from the people of Germany, Italy and Japan in the 1930s? That is the key question we must ask ourselves.
2
The entire system is a farce. Legislators who pass bills written by the people that elect them with dark money have learned that the public doesn't care. The Republicans are thumbing their noses at the the rule of law while doing jig. The Democrats are rightfully frustrated as they keep pointing to this lunacy at a public who shrugs its shoulders. That's what's happening.
4
The “most classless act ever conducted in Congress”? Surely not
The most egregious classless act in recent years occurred on September 9, 2009 when Joe Wilson, a Republican member in the House, shouted "You Lie" at President Obama from the floor during the President's nationally televised address to a joint session of Congress on the need for a national healthcare system. Mr. Wilson was not even criticized by his Republican cohort.
3
And now that this is done, what are the Senate republicans plotting to change the impeachment rules so that the next dem prez will be more easily taken down by the republican minority? This needs to be closely watched and fought at every step.
1
There is no comparison whatsoever between Speaker Pelosi actions and what paul has done. paul is that loathsome being that arises occasionally in one's life and it is best to simply admonish and then ignore such a thing. He will be remembered for what he is.
4
She was wrong because she took Trumps bait and stooped to his level. Just because Trump keeps lowering standards of behavior, doesn’t mean everyone else needs to keep following him to the basement.
2
Why would Paul behave any better than the guy he protects?
The Republicans are emulating their leader.
The country has a dictator now, with the Senate majority covering or ignoring all the malfeasance and abominable behavior.
Dems need to put their act together and voters need to flip the Senate to Democratic.
On top of that, who knows what suprises the Kremlin has for our elections...Dangerous times we are living right now.
1
Pelosi’s tearing up of Trump’s speech was a mistake. It provided an election video clip for Trump against the Democrats. And, really? She looked like a child acting out while seated behind another child acting out.
43
@JP If Ms. Pelosi did look like a child tearing up the speech on this one occasion, what are your thoughts on Donald Trump's childish behavior exhibited many, many times a week on the news and in public places - for all these years?
Could it be that Ms. Pelosi's action had a deep impression on you because this was the first time she exhibited such behavior whereas, for Mr. Trump, it goes unnoticed by you because it's so common?
160
@JP Every non-trump sycophant I’ve talked to about it says it was a perfect act of nonviolent protest against a campaign speech laden with lies. We can’t waste time trying to convert Trump sycophants. Vote blue no matter who.
129
@JP
You are rght that Pelosi's tearing up the transcript of trump's speech will quite possibly become a video clip of the trump campaign, but if it were not that, his campaign managers would just find another moment to exploit. In politics, that can't be avoided, so why not make a pointed statement with well-timed precidion?
What about trump's classless snub of Pelosi's outstretched hand at the outset of his long, droning blather (do I misremember or did he also fail to acknowledge Pence's greeting? Got to go back and view that again). It also appeared that Pence was suppressing a slight smile at whatever Pelosi was whispering to him at several moments during trump's speech.
Overall, Pelosi has conducted and will continue to conduct herself like the accomplished, astute Speaker and Representative that she is and has always been while trump will continue to conduct himself like the parasitic grifter that he has always been.
116
Go back in time and see how the last administration treated leakers & whistle blowers. They prosecuted, jailed, silenced, etc until there was so much fear none would come forward. I didn’t see any of you then actively promoting whistleblower rights. My how things change depending on who’s in the Whitehouse.
1
The United States has not experienced an authoritarian demagogue in the Oval Office. So we’re still evaluating Trump in relation to democratic laws.
But if we’d experienced the overthrow of democracy as have many other countries — where those laws don’t protect the nation from consolidate power — then our understanding would be different.
Maybe we need to change our point of view on this presidents pattern of behavior. Maybe we should see through the eyes of those who lost their democracy?
1
Pelosi's speech tear was an act of Civil Disobedience. She follows a long line of breaking decorum, even breaking a law, to make a point. From the revolutionaries to Thoreau to Dr. King and onward, America has been formed by these courageous acts. Those who argue these acts have "no class," they are are part of the problem, enablers.
3
The "Whistleblower" has already been named by dozens of people. Since the name is out there already and disclosure is not prevented by any existing federal law it seems that it is time to find out who this person is connected to and whether or not he "colluded" with Democrat politicians, like Adam Schiff and company, to get this failed attempt to remove Trump from office by impeachment.
7
@NYChap -- one of the painful things to watch is how the GOP, once it got taken over by Trump, has become a gang, obsessed with finding out who might be ratting them out to the cops.
Seriously - we have a President who, while in office, has been forced to pay a couple million because his "family" ran a "charity" that was taking in over two million dollars that was supposed to be for VETERANS.
And he stole it. And he used it for his own needs. Money people gave to help our veterans.
He paid tens of millions to get the charges of consumer fraud dropped because of his fake school.
The man's a walking pile of indictments waiting to happen, he told us that he actually did excactly what the whistleblower reported.
And you're following the gang approach, where whistleblowers who try to protect the public from abuse are the bad guys. Holy Jimmy Cagney- next we'll have GOP Senators walking around going "you dirty rat".
3
I have often remarked that the Republicans are more cunning than the Democrats when it comes to playing hard ball politics. Ironically, it was southern Democrats that taught modern Republicans how to do this, as the author points out.
The cover picture of Preston Brooks about to strike Senator Sumner really goes to the heart of this political hard ball. Brooks was celebrated as a hero in his home state, and the Federal government never brought any criminal charges against him. Sumner near died and was left with permanent impairment.
Painting with a broad brush, The South runs rough shod over basic principals of human dignity, civil rights, fair play, and basic principals of decorum. Since 1876 when the North negotiated with the South to make R. Hayes president in exchange for Northern troops to vacate, we have seen how the South retained its authoritarian traditions which imbues its political leaders with an arrogant disdain for the "other," as the examples in this essay reveal.
5
Fundamental role of a whistleblower is to suggest questions to be asked, along with his/her reasons for doing so. In most cases, the whistleblower will not provide hard evidence - just suspicion. If allegations appear reasonable, investigation must follow to determine whether the allegations are backed up with facts - documents and sworn testimony. The whistleblower should have no role in either investigation or determination - though may remain an interested, but anonymous, party. Key fact: maintaining whistleblower anonymity is critical to having whistleblowers with courage to come forward with important information. Those who - for whatever reason - violate whistleblower anonymity should face very long prison time and severe financial penalty.
10
I’ve wondered how many votes against witnesses were bought by the President and the RNC.
For instance, was Rand Paul promised money for his campaign for raging against the whistleblower?
13
@S
You have no evidence of this or, I presume you would have presented it.
What happened to the 'fact based' community?
I’m not so interested in whether Mr. Trump or Ms. Pelosi was more rude. The issue is: which of them campaigned for votes better. Ms. Pelosi, whether out of pique or design, actually confirmed Republican votes and maybe even pushed many “undecided’s” over the line.
1
@Lawrence
Sorry. I am not buying it.
Speaker Pelosi ripped up pieces of paper, a speech.
Our Forever Impeached President Trump rips up our Constitution, the truth, and our country ever day.
6
If you want anarchy then condone what Rand Paul did by exposing the alleged whistleblower. Or condone what Trump did by calling the whistleblower treasonous.
I am a former life-long Republican who is thoroughly disgusted with ALL Republican politicians today. No matter who, VOTE BLUE!
25
I am 100% behind speaker Pelosi tearing up Trump's SOTU speech for all to see.
Trump, the Republican Senate and House, along with the DOJ, have been tearing up traditions, the rule of law, and the Constitution, at a mind-boggling pace, for the past three years. And before that, Reagan revolutionaries, like AG Barr, and Cheney, have been thumbing their noses at tradition, the law and the Constitution for 40 years.
With the exception of Mitt Romney, and his brief flash of honesty during the impeachment trial, one would be hard pressed to find any member of the Republican Congress that respects tradition, the rule of law, and the Constitution. Forty years of lies, voter suppression, debasement of democratic values, faux patriotism, and attacking the foundations of our government make clear what motivates the Republican party — power and money.
Speaker Pelosi has done more to protect the Constitution than the entire Republican party of political cowards, knaves and faux patriots. Speaker Pelosi should be awarded the Medal of Freedom, not a person of Limbaugh character, a man who spent his entire adult life tearing this country apart and smugly laughing about it.
Hopefully, there are real patriots left in the DOJ, DOD, and the intelligence community who will put country before self and stepped forward to speak truth to the American people.
25
@old soldier
Who was trying to destroy a political 'norm' by asking the Electoral College delegates to 'throw' the election (the 'faithless elector' gambit tried in late 2016)?
In truth both the Democrats and Republicans have been shredding the norms at a furious pace.
1
And we keep voting for them.... I think it’s us.
@gregdn - Your example lacks depth and weight when compared to the actions of the Reaganites, and their legal arm, the Federalist Society. There are, of course, Democrats who have acted in ways that betrayed the American people and the Constitution. However, their numbers are few and their impact on our democracy limited when compared to the damage inflicted by members of the Republican party.
Lost in the praise of pelosi’s tearing of Trump’s speech is the acknowledgment that Trump is literally driving her crazy. He’s doing what he does to all his opponents - he wears them down until they can oppose him no longer.
Look at her in recent press conferences. That is not the picture of a woman in control. She has not ever faced an opponent like Trump. He’s relentless (like many politicians) but unshackled by proper decorum.
I think this is going to get uglier for Pelosi as Trump turns the heat up on her and she struggles to deal with it. Tearing up the speech was an insult to the SOTU event, but she couldn’t help herself. I think she may have a full blown breakdown in the next 8 months. She’s not young.
1
@Matt Williams: She knows what will happen to the next Congressional inquiry of the Executive Branch. It will be referred to Mitch McConnell's judiciary for testing of standing and relevance.
You wish. I admire Speaker Pelosi tremendously. She knows exactly what she's doing. Made of steel. Take it from another tough woman elder.
4
@Matt Williams
Please stop playing psychiatrist. Leave that to the real psychiatrists such as myself.
Nancy Pelosi is a model of decorum. She certainly understands what is or is not appropriate behavior infinitely better than Trump, Rand Paul, McConnell, Graham, Pompeo, or any of the Fox fed histrionic Republicans who lower the level of political discourse on a daily basis. She is in control of everything she does & says. Your lack of perceptiveness does not alter that basic reality.
There is no basis or you to smear Pelosi by implying that she is close to a "full breakdown." "Full breakdown" is a meaningless term. It does not appear in the DSM or any recognized authoritative source of psychiatric nomenclature. If you are trying to suggest that she is mentally ill, you have no basis for that. On the other hand, there is such overwhelming evidence of Trump's mental illness that full length books & conferences of mental health professionals deal with this every day.
Your thinly veiled swipe at her for being her age shows your own ageism. You are trying to insinuate that she has dementia without saying so in as many words. She does not have dementia. Period.
Pelosi is a shrewd politician who knows exactly what she is doing & why. Her ripping up her copy of Trump's basket of lies was a mild & considered form of protest over Trump turning the SOTU address into a partisan political speech. She had every right to do so & ample reason to do so.
4
No need to name him, or show a picture, or give his address phone # or email. But, who is he. How old, is he a political operative? Is he a real whistleblower or was his report a compilation from leakers? Was he actually in on a call or meeting or did he just hear about them secondhand? What if any guidance or direction did he receive from Adam Schiff's staff prior to or while compiling his report? Impeachment is far too serious to leave to a political cabal.
1
I don’t understand your point at all. It’s not the person that is important. Was the information true or not THAT’S ALL THAT matters.
Why does it matter who it was if the information turns out to be true? Is naming the person going to make the information less true?
Make no sense , unless you are Trump and you want to retaliate or you want to “close the leak” and stop true information that could be used to impeach.
12
@ Samuel Spade
Anyone can report child abuse, anonymously, through state hotlines. They are not required to identify themselves, or do anything but report information about abuse or suspected abuse. Then the proper authorities do the investigation.
Do you not “get” why this is important?
6
@Samuel Spade You ar obviously not of the same detective mind as your avatar namesake.
The whistleblower's claim was investigated by the I-G and found to be credible and of merit to report up the chain as proscribed by law. The I-G looks at all the facts you state, and if the statements cannot be corroborated or the person is to be found to be reporting for strictly partisan reasons the I-G is free to dismiss the claim.
The Republicans just can't face the fact that what was reported is true and was verified by several people who were obviously, actually party to the call and other conversations and messages that verify that Trump was abusing his power. During the Senate trial it was announced that the OMB has emails that further clarify the exact intent of the whole aid holdup and the Trump administration made sure that they were not available to the Senate. If they would have proved his innocence don't you think that he would have been holding them over his head like the newspaper headlines following the sham trial?
5
Another guy in history who had no understanding of the role and importance of civil society and civil rhetoric was a fella named Karl Marx. I’ll bet the Republicans just love to hear that name of one of their bedfellows.
2
Republicans are quick to shout out the transgressions of others but if a one of their party is guilty they are silent.Many were shocked in 2009 when Congressman Joe Wilson shouted out, “You Lie” when Obama was speaking to a joint session of Congress.It was a jarring and disrespectful moment but the Republicans were not bothered.They did not demand his resignation.Ms.Pelosi accepted the speech from Trump and reached out to shake his hand.He pointedly ignored her but she sat respectfully through the speech and occasionally clapped.She did not shout or grimace or disrespect the time Trump spent in the House.Disposing of the speech in a quiet way was her prerogative-it was no different than those of us who turned off our TVs and screamed “liar”.
18
It's surprising that Burke and Hamilton didn't fight a duel. That was customary in those days; calling a man a liar amounted to a challenge.
There are no more standards since Republicans Senators abdicated their duties any sense of right and wrong have been thrown to the wind and they have fallen on the sword by voting for the corrupt clown in the Oval Office. He has no honor and neither do those Senators With one exception.
I’ve been no fan of Romney but I actually believe that his vows and his conscience means so much to him that he could not vote a lie and live with himself. I couldn’t admire his courage and conviction more.
10
South Carolina seems to have been a significant producer of these stunts described in this article.
1
Joanne Freeman argues that Rand Paul's outing of a whistleblower is far more serious than merely tearing up Trump's State of the Union address.
I agree on this particular issue. But both parties have been ignoring constitutional protections in their zeal for punishing their foes.
Perhaps the most egregious is the MeToo movement which throws the principle of due process under the bus in order to destroy the careers of "white patriarchs." And yes feminists use exactly that divisive language.
The evidence was inconclusive for the accusation of attempted rape that was leveled agains Brett Kavanaugh for an event that was alleged to have occurred 35 years ago when Kavanaugh was in high school. Democrats seem to believe the notion that a woman can never be mistaken. But 360 children, coached by therapists, turned out to be wrong in the McMartin preschool abuse trial.
Democrats voted essentially along party lines, not to deny confirmation because they opposed his policy but because he was unfit to serve. Now activists shut down his speech with placards condemning him as a rapist.
This is intolerable in a country whose constitution guarantees due process.
Did Democrats honestly expect that in the trial of Trump how Democrats tried to destroy Kavanaugh's reputation.
Democrats have followed Trump into the gutter and now employ the politics of personal destruction against their enemies.
What choices do we have when BOTH PARTIES are so corrupt?
What makes no sense in the Kavanaugh comparison is that why would women come forward at all if “nothing” happened, if they didn’t even know him. Sorry, the Republicans want me to believe they were paid operatives, that’s even harder to believe.
If the woman would have come forward 35 years ago Kavanaugh wouldn’t have made it to law school. The party line votes are mostly caused by party line Republicans who refuse to believe in witnesses. They have learned that works.
2
Is this what the increasingly incoherent Paul wants to do? Allowing malfeasance and corruption by shutting down whistle blowers?
Great! Let the military and arms manufacturers cheat tax payers. Let the Department of Housing and Urban Development go in cahoots with builders, and let Trump keep on making money out of his office. Is this his idea of being a libertarian? Give everyone freedom to despoil the government?
5
Yes, this is the question one has to ask? Why do we need the whistle blowers name if the information he gave turned out to be worth investigating?
4
Trump is betraying America, and the Republicans (except for Romney) are providing him cover.
The strongest reason to impeach Trump, and defeat him in November, is that he endangers our National Security by repeatedly and consistently aiding a foreign power, Russia. This is Treason, and all Americans must understand this.
Secretary Clinton pointed out that Trump is Putin’s puppet. Speaker Pelosi told Trump that all roads lead to Putin with him. They are both entirely correct.
Convicted felons Roger Stone and Paul Manafort know the details of this, but they will not talk because Trump promised to pardon them if they keep quiet.
Trump’s tax returns would also show that he is in hock to Putin-connected Russian oligarchs, which is why Trump is so desperate to hide his financial records. Mueller was prevented from investigating Trump’s finances by Rod Rosenstein, and William Barr terminated the investigation prematurely.
Remarkably, virtually the entire Republican delegation in Congress (with the lone exception of Romney) is in complete denial of all of this.
The GOP has become the Gang of Putin!
11
Speaker Pelosi was exactly right. Lies emanating from trump is constant and a danger to our security.
But I want to know why Barr's police are investigating Biden instead of Giuliani. The mad mayor broke several laws in his work for the president. Anyone else would have been disbarred and sanctioned by now.
10
trump-R broke tradition by refusing to shake the hand of Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, a woman(-my hero), during State if the Union.
4
As a now-retired federal employee (3rd Branch) I am so grateful that I never saw anything so untoward being done by those in power that I would have felt compelled to file a whistleblower complaint. Because I would have. When you have spent your entire career in federal service and are close to retirement (or even if you aren't close, but want to continue federal service until retirement), the thought that you would give up years of hard work (at reduced pay) because you witnessed something that compelled you to honor your oath of office and protect our Constitution is a serious decision that will (or at least could) affect your future for outing the wrongdoer.
In this administration, the threat is clearly evident. This country's wannabe dictator is all about hatred and division and loyalty only to him (not to the country nor the Constitution). The entire House and Senate GOP are cowards (with the exception of Romney - thank you sir) and those who are up for re-election should be removed and replaced by a Democrat.
11
What is it about Kentucky's senators? I always thought people in the Bluegrass state were among the nicest, but their senators...
4
I found Rand Paul’s action especially malicious even given the situation we are in. It has nothing to do with his libertarian ideology and it was just mean and spiteful as well as dangerous
6
We are in dangerous times.
Trump is erratic, and his conversations with world leaders will likely get worse as Election Day grows near.
If trump has allies with whom he speaks, they are probably looking for leverage, secrets or tax-payer cash. They know how to use him and they know they can get away with it. We are vulnerable. We are at the mercy of wolves.
I don’t think the American people can wrap their heads around what it will be like to live under a government completely unaccountable to the American people. Many, if not most, governments worldwide rely on bribes to do the simplest things.
Are we really ready for a system of regular bribery and extortion as government? It CAN happen here. This is the story of many of our neighbors to the south and our friends in Russia, Ukraine, Saudi Arabia, etc. We are NOT exceptional. We must do the work of democracy or we will lose it. We are lost.
We are an immigrant nation. We should be sensitive to this more than most. We’ve been running from vicious governments since the Pilgrims. Our government is not perfect, but you just have to take a quick look around you to see how much worse it can get.
Please do not take liberal democracy for granted just because you hate the word “liberal.” Your right to hate any political perspective you want relies on liberal democracy. If you leave this country to the wolves, they will eat our innards and leave us for the crows.
We are in dangerous times.
8
Rand Paul’s question to John Roberts did NOT contain the name of the whistleblower, but did contain the names of two members of Schiffs staff who were involved with the WB. When a person is responsible for trying to Impeach the president of the United States, he definitely should be exposed, investigated, subpoenas and be made to testify to the American people. We have a right to know who else was involved in this sham and why.
3
@PVBeachbum
Going after Schiff’s staff. Republicans sink lower ever time they speak.
Do you know what we have the right to know?
What Mr Bolton has to say.
What Mulvaney, Pompeo, Guiliani have been up to.
We have the right to access the exact transcript of “the call” and other pertinent documents.
4
What sham? I watched the trial , there was no sham in investigating the President. The case against him was proven. The Republicans refused to vote to impeach , that is all that happened.
5
In any other time period or President, this would be an abomination however when you look at the decency and actions of this alleged corrupt individual known to be given one of the most powerful, respected, titles which are revered by many throughout the globe then you must conclude that this behavior has now become synonymous with the leader of the United States a country which at one time showed it's dignity strength, honesty, and integrity, it was governed by an electorate who stood for values that were at times questioned by the world as many Democratic countries who share the same ideology can attest. To now have the international community not understand or trust this Congress and Senate, to see the need for the Speaker of the House to feel that she must, in front of the world stand true to the Constitution as written by the Founding Fathers who in their wisdom tried to protect the country by legislating the ability to impeach and remove the likes of this president through the power invoked
2
Naming the whistle bower and escorting Vindman out of the White House should concern everyone. Both are a blatant attempts to intimidate anyone who would dare to step up and expose criminal behavior. The vote by the Senate Republicans serves an example of how easily intimidation can destroy a democracy.
14
We continue to allow Trump and the GOP define the narrative. Roy Cohn rule #2, after deny, deny, deny: change the debate, come up with a distraction and repeat it. With trolls and tollbots to amplify, and the media always fooled by them and Fox into beating to death the red herring, the truth is being obfuscated. Trump and the GOP on a daily basis do dozens of things that are worse. At the same State of the Union, the fact that the whole GOP turned it into an orchestrated campaign rally for Trump and chanting 4 more years, was shocking and unprecedented. To distract from the criticism that would otherwise have come toward their behavior, they went on the offensive ala Roy Cohn and amplified the speech ripping.
8
Glad to have things put into some sense of order. No one was caned. We have evolved. Pelosi was rebuffed by Trump as she put out her hand to be shaken. Then she listened to Number N of his many lies as he smirked his way through the speech. I approve of her behavior. Rand Paul's genetically tied to being an outlier as his father was in the manner of behaving in a ridiculous manner, outside the norms of protocol or consideration for the protection of the whistleblower, in Rand's case.
1
During his presidential campaign, Donald Trump claimed that “we would have so much winning you are going yo be tired of winning.” I see it a bit differently. I see it as “we are having to much winning we are all going to live to regret it.”
He and his peers are that bad.
4
It frightens me to think, and I hope it is wrong, that the particular Southern tradition of intimidation and racism is a particular virulence in our country today. Of course it's not exclusive to the South, but boy, oh boy, it does reflect poorly on the states south of the Mason Dixon line that they embrace it so enthusiastically.
I remember being taught, in the 5th grade in rural Arkansas, that there was no Civil War; it was The War Between the States, and it was over states' rights.
But at the final tally it's really just about being willing and free to throw a tantrum and do anything you can get away with to get your own way. Spoiled is the word that comes to mind, and I know, not think, that there are enough decent adults in the south to prove me wrong about those particular Southern traditions ... We need you now, good people.
2
"Naming the alleged whistle-blower is much worse than tearing up a speech."
One infantile act does not excuse another.
Not acting like a 19th century thug in Congress, when in any case, different standards of behavior applied does not excuse non-acceptable 21st century behavior.
Relativism is no excuse.
Handing out grades for unacceptable behavior might be acceptable in a classroom. Not congress. Unacceptable behavior is unacceptable. No excuses.
4
So murder and shoplifting are equal? Bad behavior is just bad? No relativity at all?
Pelosi's act was a form of peaceful protest, as any sane person knows. Repub outrage over the act is par for the course. They will lie, cheat and steal to get their way, but when the Dems do anything even remotely out of line, the Repubs cry. The Repubs see this as politics and fighting to "win." I see it as classless and gutless.
8
We all know who the euphemistically entitled whistleblower is and this virtue signaling is appallingly disingenuous. Would expect nothing less from a Yale historian.
2
The whistleblower is a true patriot and courageous in outing Trump's treason; Paul undermined the rule of law, which he swore to uphold, in order to curry favor with his boss, which is a cowardly, self-serving act.
7
Republicans can whine all they want about Nancy Pelosi tearing up Trump's "State of the Union" speech. However, by their hypocrisy and outright treachery, they have aided and abetted Trump in tearing up the Constitution in their craven sell-out to acquit him of "bribery" of Ukraine by trading illegally withheld military aid and an Oval office visit for their announcing the opening a corruption investigation into former Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden. That was clearly impeachable offense as stated explicitly in the Constitution. This goes well beyond "shredding standards;" it is a threat to our very rule of law and our democracy.
5
Wow - great article & a fantastic history lesson. Something I needed to know when I was taking American history classes decades ago. I boycotted the State Of The Union address to the nation to avoid the stress & listen to a pathological liar boast about the economy, etc. So, I enjoyed a Netflix movie.
When, I watched a PBS news clip the next morning, I applauded Speaker Pelosi, tearing up 'Captain Bone Spurs' (Trump) speech.
Trumpsters refuse to wake up & smell the coffee. Instead of crying foul concerning Speaker Pelosi's action - they need to cry foul & shout 'evil' at Senator Rand for blowing his fog horn by naming the whistle blower & endangering his/her jog, safety & family.
1
We persist in the delusion that we're some Shining City that's somehow better than previous wannabe Empires despite our history that proves our belief is poppycock.
The US was born in violence over power, religion and money. Expanded via brutal ethnic cleansing of Native Americans. Grew rich on the backs of slaves and endless exploitation of our rich natural resources. We seek global hegemony by practicing Perpetual War against smaller, weaker nations, then crowing about our prowess on the battlefield despite having our behinds handed to us by "peasants" in Nam and now in the ME.
It's not that we're worse than previous oppressive empires, it's that we're not much (any?) better. True, we don't mount the heads of the conquered on pikes in the public square, but we're perfectly fine with invading and destroying countries that have done us no harm (that would be Iraq, Bush), then blaming them for fighting back.
We're no worse than we were in the (R)s halcyon days of yore, but we're no better either. Time to take a look in the mirror.
1
"For Southerners, transgressing rules was part of the point; it was a show of power."
Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose.
1
This is just an extension of the "good people on both sides" argument. Dr. Freeman is making the point that all political parties, throughout our history, have had representatives that have shown shocking, rude or threatening behavior toward their opponents. So, we're left nowhere. No one is willing to call Trump out on his behavior, which is some of the worst we've ever seen, not just in a president, but in any area. Even as outrageous as some rock stars have been, they don't equal Trump for rudeness, belligerence, crassness and deceitfulness. But, no one is willing to say so. It's always "the Democrats have been rude, too." But, no president has ever behaved as Trump does. Totally disrespecting every aspect of our government. Tearing up a speech is nothing compared to Trump's threats and insults.
5
We all know this. What is going to be done about it is the question.
4
I'm sick and tired of hearing "Republicans in private say" whatever. Paul's act was a crime and the way this whistle-blower has been treated if will absolutely cause huge pause for people blowing the whistle on anything. Let's hear some names attached to the "Republicans in private", they deserve no protection and no law prevents there names being from being disclosed.
3
I am 100% behind speaker Pelosi tearing up Trump's SOTU speech for all to see.
Trump, the Republican Senate and House, along with the DOJ, have been shredding traditions, the rule of law, and the Constitution at a mind-boggling pace for the past three years. And before that, Reagan revolutionaries, like AG Barr, have been thumbing their noses at tradition, the law and the Constitution for 40 years.
I am sickened by Senator/Colonel Lindsey Graham's assault on military values and the Constitution he swore to protect. With the exception of Mitt Romney, and his flash of honesty during the impeachment trial, one would be hard pressed to find any member of the Republican House or Senate that respects tradition, the rule of law, or the Constitution. Forty years of lies, voter suppression, debasement of American values, faux patriotism, and attacking the foundations of our government make clear what motivates the the Republican party — power and money.
Speaker Pelosi has done more to protect the Constitution than the entire Republican party of political cowards, knaves and faux patriots. Speaker Pelosi should have been awarded the Medal of Freedom instead of Limbaugh, a man who spent his entire adult life tearing this country apart and smugly laughing about it, while Republican money rolled in.
6
Most Republicans don't bat an eye when their leader engages in personal attacks, lies with impunity, attacks our institutions and allies, and incites his followers to violence with his vitriol. But Pelosi ripping up a copy of his speech? They are indignant, offended, outraged.
Ripping up Trump's work of fiction would not necessary if Pelosi had declined to extend Trump an invitation to deliver a State of the Union speech before Congress. There is no law that requires her to do so. She could have simply issued a statement that since the President and his staff refused to comply with lawful subpoenas issued by Congress during the impeachment proceedings, she was not going to extend him the courtesy to speak before the assembled houses of Congress.
4
It’s equally as bad. Why do you think we have sunshine laws and the right to face ones accuser in a court of law? The House’s impeachment vote was a joke and their attempt to micro manage the process in the Senate was deplorable!
1
@Georg Impeachment is NOT a court of law in the legal sense. It is a political action that is meant to warn or remove a person holding an office of public duty.
The House did allow the Presidents lawyers to submit evidence of his innocence by both written and sworn verbal testimony by witnesses to the actions in question but they chose not to. Trumps lawyers and administration chose to stonewall all attempts to get the truth of what occurred. If he was truly innocent why would he fight having the facts known? And no, dragging in some spurious, non-related stuff about somebody else's supposed actions is not relevant to his innocence or guilt in what was charged.
2
That might work if there was one else that could collaborate the conversation, but there were many witnesses that did come forward and did confirm the information. Anyway, I don’t think the whistle blower was there for the conversation anyway , they just put two and two together to realize what Trump was doing and passed that information on to be confirmed or refuted. The accusers were the a House managers.
1
Dr. Freeman. You can say what you want but what Speaker Pelosi did was the most disgusting public display of frustration, defeat, hatred, anger, childishness, pettyness, hyperpartisanship, and most importantly a rejection of American democracy. You can spin it the way you want. Historical facts will not change. She will be remembered in history as the 1st speaker to shred a copy of the president's finest State of the Union (SOU) speech. To the next SOU speaker either by the reelected president Trump or the dem nominees I would say if speaker of the house is still Pelosi in the chair just give her link to the speech which she could download. I am not the only 1 who thinks Pelosi's uncivilized behavior was reprehensible and disgraceful. A majority of all Americans think that way.
When one gets an opportunity and high honor to sit in a high chair facing the joint session of congress looking down on the president of USA, one should think that as a host they have a higher moral ground to behave with class. She is a disgrace to all Californians and women. I would be very worried and petrified that as the 3rd in line to be president that should anything drastic happen to the president or the Vice president she will become president and will be in charge of the nuclear codes and the red button. This thought will make me pray harder for our president and VP completing their first term than what Pelosi claims to do when she says she prays everyday (wink wink) for Trump.
Anyone interested in the whistleblowers name knew it already. I did. If we care about whistleblowers , Chelsea Manning is in prison.
Pelosi’s stunt meant nothing either way. If she wanted to oppose Trump, she could have fought his gigantic military budget.
Rand Paul's stunt was immature. Perhaps he's feeling a little left out of the limelight as the president hogs it all.
I prefer to think of him as the poor man's version of Trump. He'll provide a little calamity when Trump's not available.
Nancy's tear was a moment to cherish. Not only because Democrats need to send stronger messages in general about Donalds post-truth existence, but because it forced Republicans to call someone's behavior 'innapropriate'! In the post truth era of Donald's persistent mocking bullying lying and provable crimes, it's absolutely amazing for any Republicans to express outrage over this- but yet, they did. They haven't uttered word ONE about the constitutional crises that currently surrounds us, and calling out Nancy reveals the GOP's core of hypocrisy.
3
All true, but.
The House of Representatives is not Mr. Trump's turf. His use of an invitation to deliver his constitutionally required report in person to turn the invitation into a political spectacle by giving a medal to Rush Limbaugh was unforgivable.
Speaker Pelosi should have withdrawn the invitation on the spot and directed the Sergeant at Arms to remove Mr. and Mrs. Trump forthwith.
5
Right-Wing Extremism seeks to shut down avenues and forms of communicating government wrong-doing. Honorable Speaker Pelosi seeks to call attention to the multiple lies told by our president in front of the Nation & the World. I think that sums it up.
9
Trump has been tearing up everybody and everything in sight, including our country's foreign friendships and alliances since his appearance on the scene. So what's wrong with tearing up his speech. It's no George Washington's Farewell Address, nor Lincoln's Gettysburg's. What's the fuss then?
3
The message that she sent is that there is now a race to the bottom for civil behavior. Both Trump and the Speaker acted like kindergarten kids. No let me correct that, worse than kindergarten kids. These are the best politicians we can find in the country?
The country deserves to know who the whistle blower is- what their political affiliation is and what their motivations are. As of now I assume the 'whistle blower' is a disgruntled Democrat who really dislikes Trumps policies. Unelected beaurocrats do not get to veto the policies of elected Presidents- no matter how certain they are that they are right.
2
Trump and Republicans are vested in people being too scared, too cynical, or too pessimistic to stand up against them. The point of outing the whistleblower is to scare; the point of the faux outrage over decorum is the REAL outrage that Pelosi isn’t scared of them and is out of cares to give; the point of the hate toward Romney is that he will be re-elected from Utah for as long as he likes, disproving the thought it’s Trump or exile.
2
revealing the identity of a whistle blower is a criminal act...tearing up a piece of paper not so much.
The Republican Party, as an institution, is a danger to the rule of law and the integrity of our democracy.
The problem is not just Donald Trump it is Republicans in House and Senate participating in The Trump Organization's —Donald J. Trump, CEO—criminal enterprise.
The best hope of defending the country from Trump’s Republican collaborators is to vote against Republicans at every opportunity.
4
Let’s see - Which is worse? A student not abiding by the code of conduct of a school, even if they be the student council president OR the principal of the school defying the code of conduct outright? How about which is worse - A neighbor disobeying local law, even if they be on the local police force OR the chief of police? Then, there is a citizen not following the rule of law as supported by our Constitution, even if they be the Speaker OR the President of the United States defying the rule of law under the Constitution? How about the Republican senators letting him off the hook for his illegalities and not even conducting a real trial with witnesses and evidence. NOPE, in the land of the still free and the home of the Vindman brave, we see, hear and know the truth and soon more will be forced to reckon with the same. Justice will be served. The day of reckoning will come. ‘Let justice roll down like water and righteousness like an ever flowing stream.’ We have NOT yet begun to fight! Our victory over lies and deception is assured by the God of Truth. We will NOT allow our country to be sold to the highest bidder nor the rich oligarchs to control our rights to clean air, water and land and good healthcare either. We want our country back from those who seek to conquer by division and fear. God is always on the side of the oppressed. Go good people the world over. We are done with these tyrants of indecency and deception. God is NOT mocked, you will reap what you sow.
3
What profiles in courage these Republicans are. Even little children learn that name-calling cannot hurt us, if we refuse to let it. Further, if the Republicans would stand together against Trump, he would back down as he always does when confronted. He, as all bullies, is weak and insecure at his core and. If Republican representatives and senators are simply afraid of losing their political jobs, perhaps they should have to work to find another, just like the rest of us do when we suffer corporate lay-offs. Personally I am tired of their excuses and tired of those who accept their excuses.
1
This administration rules by intimidation, brow beating and character assassination. How else, with the exception of ONE member of the Republican side fail to stand up to this flawed President? I look back and am in awe, and not in a good way.
7
Why is it not more prominently stressed in the press that ALL calls to reveal the identity of the whistle-blower, or to require the testimony of the whistle-blower, are actually 100% based on and motivated by a cruel, vindictive desire to punish and exact revenge on the whistle-blower?
Seems it should be obvious to anyone who's paid the slightest attention that the extent of the whistle-blower's involvement was that someone with first-hand knowledge brought information to the whistle-blower's attention, and the whistle-blower had the guts to pass the information up the chain to someone with the authority to act on it. Period. What new info could have possibly been obtained from testimony of the whistle-blower that couldn't be obtained from the person who acted? None, as far as I can see. Or what am I missing?
7
@MFC
here's the thing, The complaint never got past Bill Barr. The whistleblower then blew the whistle on that sham of process by asking an aid to the Intelligence committee what the correct process would be to get it made known to Congress. He was told to get a lawyer if I remember correctly. In any case that lawyer or the whistleblower exposed to the Intelligence committee the fact that there was a complaint which had not been sent on to Congress in spite of the fact that the Inspector General who makes that determination had said it should be sent on to Congress. (Note here the practice has been since inception to let Congress know about every complaint regardless of what the IG determined)
Inquiries were made, it went public and the president trying to head off an impeachment inquiry issued what he called an unredacted transcript of the phone call that turned out to be a summary of the call. Neverthekless that summary was a confession that proved every point the complaint made and it also provided evidence in the form of the quotes that the president had actually done it.
This confession and the attached proof is what forced Speaker Pelosi to authorize the Intelligence committee to start an impeachment inquiry.
4
"alleged whistleblower" or "whistleblower?" The whistleblower law protects whistleblowers from actions against them ICW the whistleblowing. The law does not protect them from being publicly identified. Your readership deserves the facts.
5
The person who has been identified, perhaps wrongly, has already been threatened with death, and is receiving Secret Service protection. Testimony in the House, as well as Trump’s ignorant rehashing of the phone call, established that he is guilty. If that weren’t enough, and apparently, it isn’t for you, Trump refusing to let key figures in his administration testify, should be.
5
Once upon a time a reasonable person might have been excused for expecting senators, representatives and presidents to be decent, honest, and ethical, for assuming they would not do what Senator Paul has done. Paul's purpose was transparent: to prevent more whistle-blowers from coming forward, by threatening this one, and specifically to intimidate whistle-blowers who would have something important to say about the present administration and its party. Congress must amend the whistle-blower law. Senators, representatives, presidents, and members of presidential administrations should not be permitted to out whistle-blowers.
5
Democrats,
Please get your “unity” going. If this country is to survive, we all need to come together, and believe in a common base - decency. The candidates should treat each other with respect, and everyone, including the candidates, should help get out the vote.
No whining and no pessimism. If you think the madman might win again, it is all the more reason to not despair. The policy differences between the candidates are trivial compared to what’s currently going on our so-called government. This is a call to action for every decent and rational American! VOTE.
2
Where did the notion that whistle-blowers are always attack masters originate? With Senator Paul, perhaps? Isn’t it possible that these folks—who risk reputation and job security—are actually performing an important, and even commendable action, by alerting authorities of potential wrongdoing? Those same authorities are then charged with investigating and making a determination of guilt or innocence—not the whistle-blower. I agree with the author of this piece; Senator Rand’s real purpose in naming the whistle-blower was intimidation, was retaliation, was suppression of speech—was currying favor with Trump.
7
The problem with professor Freeman's opinion piece is that she doesn't know what she is talking about. Neither do I, or most of us. That is because the press won't tell us.
ABC reported Trump as tweeting that the whistleblower was "highly partisan" with ties to his political rivals. Then, with a straight face, ABC intoned that "those statements aren't supported by the facts known so far, and lack important context." You don't say! Those are precisely the facts our normally leaky press (including ABC) is withholding from us.
Freeman skates over the possibility that Trump's suspicions are correct and the whistleblower had partisan motivations which he (or she) is using the statute to hide. Some news reports have suggested that the whistleblower had tipped off Rep. Adam Schiff or his committee before filing an official whistleblower complaint within the State Department and then used the filing to protect his or her identity. If true, that is plainly an abuse of the statute. Such gamesmanship would disqualify him or her from the statute's protection.
At a minimum the State Department Inspector General and the Justice DoJ owe it to us to investigate whether the process was abused and take appropriate actions. Expect the usual voices in shrill unison to tell us that the statute is so sacrosanct that it is impermissible to investigate the possibility it was abused!
Which was it? Whistleblower or partisan leaker? The press won't tell you.
5
You lost me. I thought The facts known were that the person was in the CIA? That’s is not usually a partisan enterprise.
Of course everyone has opinions, but true professions try to do their job anyway. Would you expect this person to ignore this
Information? Would that have been partisan also? What are they supposed to do? I think that’s what the whistleblower did. His job.
And they want to continue their job.
I guess there is some important between the lines interpretations that occur on right wing websites and tv shows that I am missing because I don’t understand what you are getting at? The information the whistleblower gave turned out to be true, so where is there partisan nature of the complaint? That seems like pure patriotism to me.
@Steve
1. You get to the heart of the problem.It is: Did a CIA employee go rogue and start playing partisan politics -- like, for example, some FBI agents, DoJ officials, judges ....? You seem blase about that, while I want to know the answer (preferably without learning their identity).
2. You ask "Would you expect this person to ignore this Information?" The obvious answer is yes. We know that because none of the people who were actually part of the conversation felt driven to do so by what was said. The whistle-blower was apparently acting based on what they told him, but did not act on it themselves. His or her zeal raises questions about motives that the press refuses to answer.
3. Sure, there is a big difference between us. Without any evidence (because the press, out of character, is keeping a secret), you have concluded that the whistle-blower acted out of pure patriotism, while I am asking for evidence before I reach my conclusion.
1
ahhh yes, the whistleblower.
the senior senator from the great state of iowa, charles grassley who, historically, has said that whistleblowers provide an essential service to the country and should remain anonymous.
let's see if he actually speaks out or does something, or if he is just another trump republican.
5
Let’s propose a hypothetical. What stops a political operative from using the shield that protects whistleblowers from causing chaos? What stops the opposing political party from using the same whistleblower protections to stage secretive hearings that deny the American public the very testimony of this operative?
The truth demands that when a whistleblower affects the political process then the shield no longer applies. Impeachment is a political process and the very actions shown by the Democrats shows the very dangers that secret witnesses pose. What stops future political operatives and their supporting political party to use whistleblowers to damage their political opponents?
The answer is the light of day.
2
First, that is not the law. The law says the identity of whistleblowers is protected, and that law should be respected unless it is changed.
Second, if the whistleblower’s accusation is privately investigated, and evidence and witnesses are found supporting the accusation, those evidence and witnesses are brought out in a public hearing. The whistle blower’s identity is at that point irrelevant, since impeachment is based only on the public evidence and witnesses.That is what happened in the Trump impeachment investigation.
8
The answer is : is the information true, is the information illegal or impeachable.
Political parties and politicians aren’t above the law. If the party is doing something that is against the law or
Impeachable than the person with information should be allowed to stay anonymous to avoid retaliation.
@Mike
Your premise is false. There were no secret hearings which kept anything from the American people. In fact that stunt where the group of republicans invaded the hearing rooms was actually composed mostly of republicans who were supposed to be in those rooms hearing the evidence! It was a stunt. They left the rooms under a pretense to join about 10 or 12 people at the top of the stairs then all marched down into the rooms "in protest".
The complaint which is in writing point out suspicions in the mind of the complainant which the president promptly confessed to when he issued the call summary he told us was an unredacted transcript. Those are two very different things.
The whistleblower did not affect anything. The president himself caused the impeachment inquiry by confessing to everything the complaint alleged and providing proof in the form of the quotes of what he said to the Ukrainian president.
Otherwise your logic is not logical. It is actually very communistic, you know American republican.
1
If Republican Speaker John Boehner had ripped a State of the Union speech by President Obama, the Republicans would have applauded him -- much like they said nothing publicly about Rand's unethical naming of someone he called the whistleblower, often referred to during the Trump Impeachment Trial. Speaker Pelosi did not do anything unethical, but the Republicans are all over her for it. But then she is a woman.
13
She ripped up the speech as she is so frustrated with all her failed attempts to remove the president. She needs to face the facts that Dems will need to beat him at the polls. The identity politics and complaints about the economy are not playing well as those are the lies that are being spread. Better for her to just face the facts and go after T on other issues where maybe she can muster some truth. She knows full well the current candidates other than maybe Bloomberg cant beat him. Instead of wasting time on all her failed attempts she should meet with Trump and improve real things that only an unknown like Trump can possibly deliver. I don’t blame her for losing it, it’s difficult to lose so often.
The frustration is not with losing , it frustration with truth being disregarded and disrespected. Aren’t you fed up with Trump’s egotistical exaggerations? Oh , that’s right he only speaks the truth and EVERYONE else is lying? That is what is so frustrating, there is no acknowledgement from the Republicans that Trump is a con artist. It makes me think you all were born yesterday?
I don’t mind some of things Trump has done with challenging China , but isn’t there someone else in the 300 million Americans that could do the same job without lying, manipulating, putting people down , attacking them for disagreeing, and just acting like a dictator or god. We are better than this, Republicans are better. Where are those better people? That’s the frustration?
You can help, start by realizing all Democrats aren’t bad.
1
A copy of a speech isn't a government document, it's personal property. I can print off my own copy of that speech and burn it, and post that act to social media, and there isn't anything anybody can do to stop me.
Speaking of that torn-up copy, I'd be willing to pay as much as $50 for it. Do you suppose it's still around?
12
Excellent article. Also, a fantastic history lesson. Something I needed to know when I was taking American history classes decades ago. I boycotted the State Of The Union address to the nation to avoid the stress & listen to a pathological liar boast about the economy, etc. So, I enjoyed a Netflix movie.
When, I watched a PBS news clip the next morning, I applauded Speaker Pelosi, tearing up Trump's speech.
Trumpsters refuse to wake up & smell the coffee. Instead of crying foul concerning Speaker Pelosi's action - they need to cry foul & shout 'evil' at Senator Rand for blowing his fog horn by naming the whistle blower & endangering his/her jog, safety & family.
11
The feigned Republican outrage over Nancy Pelosi's tearing up Trump's SOTU address is all the more laughable when you consider that Trump does worse things on nearly a daily basis, without so much as a murmur from Republicans in Congress. Case in point, two weeks ago Trump tweeted that he was the one who protected our right to have pre-existing conditions covered in our health insurance. Trump has over 72 million Twitter followers (40 million fewer than Obama) who hang on his every word. For him to tell such a monstrous lie - and this is a 100% pure lie, not some form of hyperbole - knowing his base will eat it up and repeat ad nauseam over social networks is nothing short of treason. He has betrayed the Trust of the American people. Not only did he NOT protect pre-existing conditions in our health insurance, he has been trying to eliminate that very protection since he took office. But please go on about Nancy tearing up Trump's manifesto of lies.
15
Of all people criticizing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi for tearing up a copy of Trump’s State of the Union speech it should be Trump and the republicans who don’t have a leg to stand on. Go House Speaker. You got everyone’s attention.
542
The point, of course, is to harass the whistleblower and threaten anybody else who might have a whistle in their desk. It has zero to do with transparancy, honesty, or any other such thing.
I’d say Rand Paul ought to be ashamed of himself, especially given his loud libertarianism that we’re always hearing him trumpet about, but the guy clearly left shame behind at least five years ago.
14
There is only one reason why the Republicans are intent on exposing the whistleblower and it's not about the whistleblower.
This is a campaign of intimidation targeted to any potential future whistleblowers. The information revealed from the initial report was not very incriminating. It alerted the authorities that something was amiss and needed to be looked into.
The Republicans know that there is much incriminating information that is known on capital hill that is terribly incriminating to Trump. Trump does not operate in a vacuum. Some, if not most, of that information could potentially incriminate members of the Republican Washington establishment and caucus members.
That's why they want to shut all of that down. They want to make sure that no one else dares to speak out, no matter what their duty to government and the public is.
Unlike the president, these people can be indicted and be sent to jail if convicted of any crimes. Remember when Giuliani said he had insurance? That's what this coverup is about. I would suggest that the most productive rocks needed to be turned over are the ones guarded by the loudest voices.
20
Do not listen to what they say, look at what they do. they have an agenda, they cannot stand the liberals and all they are doing is filling the courts. they cannot stand that the country has changed and continues to change in terms of race and color and ideology and they will do anything to stop this. the majority is being ruled by a minority and they have a way to do so. they have moved to give more power to the presidency and weaponizing the justice department while demeaning and minimizing the institutions at the same time. we cannot have the luxury of not voting against all of them. we are the majority after all, we just have to show up.
10
Pelosi is a government of the people patriot in my opinion, in comparison to most of the opportunistic representatives of the wealthy energy-mitlitary-industrial set. A core requirement for a sense of freedom is to not be ashamed of government action but a poor record has been piling up seemingly especially recently (e.g. IRAQ, climate denial, too much dark and corporate money into politics, gerrymandering, big pharma's drug profits... no short list this). Granted, there will always be criminal behavior by governments eveywhere, Johnathan Swift understood perfectly.
4
There seems to be no law for, and no law against, when we are faced with traditions and practices. Because if the end result is deemed “not a law” then further discussion or argument is meaningless. Perhaps it’s time to add written laws into our Constitution that are binding as practices and traditions seem to have no value. A case in point, of course, was the withholding of a vote for President Obama’s nomination to the Supreme Court, supposedly to give the next President their choice of Justice. The tradition was for the President to present the nominee to the Senate for immediate consideration, which was disregarded for political reasons.
Esquare
5
The so called whistleblower performed an act of patriotism. Should harm, in any form, befall him, Rand Paul can take full credit.
11
The argument that anything the President does is not impeachable if he thinks the action will increase his chances of getting reelected which will enable him to do more great stuff for the voters makes me realize what has happened to our country the past few years. Our country is like the kid in eleventh grade who scores high on SATs, has great potential but ends up his senior year as a meth addict.
5
Paul knows that Trump is unfit for The Presidency and has said do. He is now a Trump cultist. It is sad to see someone make a Faustian bargain and swap his integrity and political soul to Trump. But Paul has. This will not turn out well for Senator Paul or America.
7
That specific person with his/her specific course of compliant to IC IG - Intelligence Community Inspector General - could only blew a whistle about problems in the intelligence community to be considered a whistleblower. The infamous "perfect" call wasn't an action of the intelligence community.
The whole attempt to apply the term "whistleblower" to this person is incorrect.
1
I studied medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, and we were taught that integrity, honesty and caring were as important as brute force knowledge of facts. Ran Paul must have missed those days in his medical school.
I also studied law at Rutgers, and was taught Legal Ethics and the concept of "Precedent'. One would have hoped that Rand Paul would have picked up some of this while in Washington, being surrounded by most who attended law school. He must have not been listening, or, even worse not been caring.
The concept of the Whistleblower is simple. Protect a person in an organization if they witness, and then report the breaking of the law. Simple concept that seems to have been missed by Dr. Paul.
I am embarrassed to be of the same profession as this fool.
9
Pelosi’s simple gesture did send a strong message. - that Democrats hate Trump so much that they are capable of acting like children on national TV.
The whistleblowers name is old news. The media did a grand job protecting his name during the impeachment trial because revealing the person would hurt their case. Kind of like when a prosecutor uses a convicted criminal to rat someone out in exchange for a lighter sentence, It calls into question the witness’ motives. The same standards should have applied to the whistleblower, who is not legally protected from being revealed by the media or the public, but since the media was acting as the judge and the jury for the impeachment proceedings, they withheld the info.
3
So, protecting a whistle blower isn’t necessary? Scaring potential whistle blowers into silence is fine? You would make a good unethical republican representative.
1
Sanctimonious acts, while spectacular in their moment, do not preserve well. Time fades the politics behind them and all that remains are the depictions of the act itself, the perpetrator never prevails.
3
Sen. Rand Paul's exposure of the whistle-blower was a cowardly act perpetrated by someone cocooned within the safety of government security arrangements.
I hope that the Congressional committees have ensured a comprehensive security detail for the whistle-blower - perhaps it could be paid for by cancelling Sen Paul's.
7
President Trump's refusal to shake hands with Speaker Pelosi was disrespectful and demeaning to the office of the President, as is so much of his behavior, and to Congress. On the flip side, Speaker Pelosi's "shredding" of the speech, a well planned public stunt, was just as disrespectful, demeaning to the Presidency, Congress and the position of Speaker.
That she descended to the level of President Trump was disappointing and unbecoming of her office. This is where we are however, and the election promises a great show of adolescent behavior!
Be honest. Trump does 10 or 15 things each day that are much worse than tearing up a speech. By sitting on hundreds of pieces of legislation and not even allowing them to be discussed in the Senate, Mitch McConnell is effectively tearing up badly needed legislation, an action much worse than tearing up a copy of a speech.
10
One might hope that the fair citizens of the States of California, Oregon, and Washington will seek to form a more perfect union once King Donald and Prince McConnell complete their destruction of democracy.
6
We will have a Democratic president, if not in 2020 than in 2024. Maybe Paul silenced someone who would call attention to a Democrat's misdeeds.
1
I've often wondered why it is that we have such different sensitivity buttons that, when pushed, cause such polar opposite degrees of outrage. It's almost comical to witness and I've decided to laugh because the world isn't black and white, but a continuing revolving sphere filled with shades of grey.
Where Republicans always saw horrible actions in Obama, I only saw a President who was trying to do the right thing and listening to advisers.
Now with Trump it's been non stop drama and crime boss behavior and it doesn't faze them.
7
She resisted. A pretty serious crime in certain circles.
RE: "she calmly, deliberately and now famously tore her copy in two"
The reaction? - She resisted! How dare she! But we loved Trump's "Vengeance Speech". He showed how do it right, with so much more class!
It seems we know who the real "snowflakes" are.
And oh, isn't it the Republicans whose favorite defense is "It isn't illegal. If it isn't illegal than it's OK." ?
It is endlessly amazing to me the standards the Republicans have for others where there is no bottom to the depths that they trawl for themselves.
Pelosi's act was no different than millions us do with junk mail or pieces of paper we no longer need. Tear it and toss it. After all she did it after the speech, not before, and it doesn't pass directly from her to the national archives, and she certainly wasn't going to keep it is as souvenir.
10
Was Pelosi's shredding the speech a terrible, terrible idea? Well, I don't think we'll ever see Nancy doing that again.
Oh, and remind me why anyone cares about the alleged whistleblower? Whatever his name may or may not be.
1
Trump and Paul are the symptoms. Civility and gentility left the landscape about 20 years ago. We are witnessing the fall of the US right before our eyes.
Deplorable.
5
The issue is not the person who informed on the crime it is the crime and the actions of the perpetrators. Today the head of CPAC expressed concern of the safety of a US Senator if he should attend due to his vote.....think on that one. For people to come forward in the face of ruin and now it seems death granting anonymity is a small thing to begrudge them if you have a moral compass.
2
Good on Nancy. In all of Congress, she and Adam Schiff have THE greatest knack for politically upstaging Trump with stinging, meaningful truth.
8
What Rand Paul did might not have stricty been "illegal," but it surely was unethical and outrageous given the laws that protect whistle-blowers.
Once again, his GOP colleagues show their disregard both for the ethics and privacy norms. They admit that what Paul did was objectionable. He clearly deserves an official censure since he "breached confidentiality" and for “conduct that tends to bring the Senate into dishonor and disrepute”.
The absence of any sort of honor of the office of Senator by the GOP has been amply demonstrated throughout the entire Impeachment trial. The public was made aware on a daily basis that facts no longer matter - the only thing that seems to carry any weight with the GOP is maintaining its power through their complicity with and support of 45's authoritarian agenda.
The electorate must rise up in November and make sure that these charlatans parading as their representatives are kicked out and replaced by upstanding and ethical candidates. If not, our beloved democracy will be lost forever.
4
Here is a little key to deciphering republican statements.
If they object to it it undoubtedly is good for the people.
If they are for it it undoubtedly is bad for the people.
4
Paul is perfect expression of GOP lawlessness.
He tried to slip a "question" past Justice Roberts who stopped the stunt.
Pouting Paul then ran wild to the press and to congress to intentionally harm an innocent patriot.
If we lived in a civil society, Paul would be censured by congress, then arrested for a crime against humanity.
7
The GOP has been shredding everything that stands in the way of getting a permanent lock on power. It's no contest.
The art of the Hissy Fit is one of their major tools of the trade; Lindsey Graham has staff members who trail him with a fainting couch at the ready. Fox News has made 24/7 outrage a specialty at the drop of a soundbite. Mitch McConnell's picture is right there in the dictionary under the definition of Sanctimony, next to Rush Limbaugh's.
And given the way all of them them clapped, cheered, and fawned over Trump at his rage-fest following their giving him license to do whatever he wants to do, they have no standards at all, at all.
9
When many, majority or not numerically, or
by forms of actual or potential power(s),
enable personal unaccountability for harmful
words to be written or voiced, and/or deeds
to be done, and needed menschlich ones
not to be transmitted or implemented,
“incivility” becomes just a neutered-semantic.
Putting someone’s life at risk is not just breaking
a time-honored-tradition.
Getting away with IT, in an ongoing toxic, infectious
WE-THEY culture, that violates, in so many ways,
necessities more than just reporting. Commenting.
In other countries when a dictator begins to purge their political foes, the population are silent out of fear. Currently, in the United States, a significant fraction of the citizenry are cheering him on.
4
So, basically, Trump, Rand Paul and the rest of the Republican cowards in Congress have succeeded in taking us back to the political tactics of the 19th century, Making America Great Again by refusing to hear testimony and witnesses at an impeachment trial, exposing whistle blowers, and firing government employees for complying with subpoenas. Trump himself has advocated the equivalent of caning the opposition at his campaign rallies, encouraging supporters to punch out any protesters.
The only surprise, thus far, is that one of his lap dog Senators hasn't rushed across the aisle to "pound some sense" into one of his distinguished colleagues. Stay tuned...
2
Ms. Pelosi”s speech act was a performative utterance but to whom? She left the separated papyrus on the ledge - a signal to custodian personnel that the separated papyrus can be disposed of, akin to the performative act of placing a fork with tines down on a plate so that the wait staff knows to remove it
2
Yes! Naming the whistle-blower was far worse than tearing up a speech, but it is just one example of how thoroughly Republicans have obliterated balance in our politics.
Consider the spontaneous outbursts of haughty outrage in the Senate chamber when Adam Schiff quoted a press report of the alleged "head on a stick" threat (to keep Republican Senators in line).
What did this same group of 52 senatorial faux-moralists say when President Trump spewed a bombastic fusillade of unhinged tweets at the brave public servants who testified to Congress?
Most said NOTHING.
Some joined in the character assassination, and a few weakly mumbled the most mild of rebukes ("I would not have chosen to say it that way", or the erstwhile "President Trump is a counter-puncher" - as if that is any kind of excuse).
These 52 Republican Senators displayed blatant cowardice.
Worse, they did not protect Americans from a person who is immensely powerful, would like to steal the next election, and has demonstrated the brash will to do so.
6
Since it is apparent everyone in DC knows who this person is, I don’t see why it matters, I believe whistle blowers should be protected not that they should be anonymous. After all, don’t the Democrats say this person is a hero? Well, maybe not so much.
2
Speaker Pelosi hurt some paper.
Rand Paul hurt a person, a person who worked through legal channels to expose grievous wrongdoing.
The Senate Republicans hurt the country.
9
I would like to think that even trumpists are smart enough at least to recognize this for the threat that it is.
They’re sure denying it real loud, though.
4
Whistle-blowers are uncovering the vast criminality of the present administration, so it is completely understandable that they are being attacked by the GOP.
For national security reasons, naming a whistle-blower or outing a CIA officer needs to carry stiff prison sentences. They are both essential to protecting our national security. Valerie Plame was outed by George W. Bush administration officials in 2003. If the laws were stronger and Lewis "Scooter" Libby, (Vice President Dick Cheney's former chief of staff) and Dick Channey had both served 20 years in prison, the present whistle-blower would never have been outed. Nothing focuses the mind like facing long prison time.
6
"Republicans heard that message loud and clear, denouncing her incivility, accusing her of shredding “decades of tradition” and demanding her resignation."
And these same Republicans support Trump as he shreds tradition and destroys civility daily to spread his message of hate, intolerance, greed, self-preservation & self-absorption.
As for Rand Paul one of Trump's top cheerleaders of the righteous right squad he does not care about protecting anyone from retaliation. His motive is to incite. What is Paul going to say when someone assaults the whistleblower? “No one deserves to be violently assaulted,” Mr. Paul said. “I commend the F.B.I. and Department of Justice for treating this violent, premeditated assault with the seriousness it deserves.” Rand Paul's statement after he was physically attacked by his neighbor in 2018.
2
It is obvious that at this point in our history, we favor bullies over "tattletales." We have elected a mean bully, and he can do whatever he wants because everyone fears the bully.
We set up laws that allow a government employee to report what he believes is misconduct. We tell him his identity will be protected and that he will suffer no retaliation. But, when the bully-in-chief demands his outing so that he can put a target on his back, the bully's henchmen comply. Going forward, why would anyone make any report against Trump?
1
As with Trump, the blame for the vile actions of Sen. Paul lays at the feet of the American electorate.
Thank you.
The first half was my delight for the day - still smiling! -- and the last half on bullying, intimidation and using fear by the Republicans to shut their people up, shows pointblank that this time around this is just a cult.
That answers the question: How long does it take to make The Senate of The United States of America a cult?
The answer?
Less than 3 years.
(And Rand Paul? He's been a cult of himself for decades. It even has a name: "The AQUA BUDDHA CULT".)(Google it.)
1
NO. This is whataboutism!!! We've been ripping the Republicans for their "well Obama did such and such" every time Trump did something extremely unethical. Now, the liberals are using the same tactics to justify Pelosi. Eventually, one of the two sides is going to have to stand up and actually have principles. We can't control what the Republicans do, but we can control what we do.
In other words, Pelosi was wrong AND the Republicans were wrong. Period.
43
Will, they are not equivalent "Incivility is one thing; bullying people into silence is quite another". That is the difference
84
@Will
No. Just no. Pelosi ripped up a piece of paper. Was it in poor taste? Probably. Did it jeopardize anyone's safety or wellbeing? No.
Naming a whistleblower, someone who is protected BY LAW, however, will absolutely put that person and their family in harm's way. We know this. We see it all the time. Lunatics - not normal people - will send threats, and some may even attempt to carry them out. For an elected official to do this, a United States Senator no less, is beyond norm-breaking; it is criminal.
108
@Will
Trump is never going to have principles.
neither are the Republicans.
Pelosi for President!
74
The Republican response to the Speaker tearing up the speech is unimportant. That's all that needs to be said.
1
Can you imagine another Republican senator stepping forward into a position of leadership to tell Trump followers they are mistaken in their support of him? It’s difficult to imagine. This shows Republican senators are not qualified to be in the position they are in. For whatever reason they do not lead, they have at least been able to lead their consciences away from the truth that they are lying by their votes against impeachment.
2
Our president doesn’t follow the constitution and is emboldened by republican senators who don’t care about it either. He continues to bully and lie to the American people even in congress. He disrespected congress also by making it a political rally. Pelosi and a lot of Americans say enough. I am glad she is standing up for our constitution and recognizes his lies. We have to follow these rules and he should too. The good economy which is propped up by over spending on our children’s futures doesn’t give this man a right to do anything he wants.
10
Symbolism is important. When Nancy Pelosi ripped up the speech, she was engaging in symbolic protest speech. When Rand Paul actually spoke the Whistle-blower's name on the Senate floor, he was engaging in suppression of speech.
949
@David Breitkopf Rand Paul technically - I am learning - as a member of congress conducting business in the congress can actually break the whistle-blower protection act and name the WB. I am not sure if he is protected when he speaks the WB's name to reporters, however.
Rand Paul should be censured for his actions. They are not appropriate and were never necessary.
68
@David Breitkopf
Brilliant. So a petulant gesture is "speech" but words actually spoken in the U.S. Senate are "suppression of speech."
I suppose that what counts as speech depends on whose ox is gored.
5
@David Breitkopf
She was enraged by her failed impeachment, Trump’s list of successes, and the eloquence of his speech. Evidently God answered her prayers and Trump’s approval rating hit an all time high!
Republicans, on the other hand, denounced a sham whistle blower who hid behind his anonymous status to avoid revealing his partisan connections to Biden.
3
The GOP and a lot of the people spearheading this administration from Leo Leonard to Bill Barr to members of Opus Dei would like nothing more than not only a authoritarian country but possibly a theocracy as well.
Their tactics are pretty scary. Trump is a means to an end. One, he isn’t bright enough and two, his greed and vanity make him the perfect puppet.
When Trump is out confusing the masses, they are busy behind the scenes running things.
23
Let's face it, the Republican party is filled with cowards and bullies. Mitch McConnell is obsequious around our president.
We saw how petty the president was by not shaking Nancy Pelosi's outreach hand. What Nancy Pelosi did by ripping up the president's speech what is the loudest nonverbal action that anyone has taken on the Senate floor. This president and his Republican allies have no honor except for one. These men and women work in a toxic chamber filled with lies and bullying. How they go home and hug their love ones is beyond me. I see all of the democrats running for president filled with integrity and honor. This president has done more to smash the American dream in his three years of office then any of his predecessors. I look forward to voting him out of office.
25
A bit of clarification is needed here: The Lobby and lobbyists keep shredding the Constitution, our institutions, our democracy and destroying American families. They manufactured the Iraqi invasion, did away with banking regulations and feed OxyContin to dull the poverty and suffering. Yet, they are running for President and want war with Iran and above all, to re-elect the impeached and criminal Trump. Speaker Pelosi has nothing to do with this mess.
16
@Ted
Those lobbyists need actual elected representatives whom are allegedly grown adults who think for themselves to vote for these things.
"he exposed the alleged whistle-blower’s name"
That would be wrong, if he really exposed a "whistle-blower."
He felt, and I agree, this was no whistle-blower. It was a partisan attack, coordinated by and edited by the Representative who used it all the way to being an impeachment manager.
It was not a first-person reveal. It was a second hand re-write of things known, notable as language as incendiary as the impeachment manager could edit it to be.
And then the politician using it lied about that, and the "protection of the whistle-blower" became protection of the lie.
It was useful for purpose, but that was a partisan purpose, not whistle-blowing.
8
@Mark Thomason
The Inspector General, appointed by Trump, believed there were sufficient grounds to forward the whistle blowers complaint to Congress. Pretty much everyone who testified, and many who refused (Mulvaney, Bolton), admitted that Trump withheld money from Ukraine in an attempt to get President Zelensky to announce an investigation of the Bidens (an investigation he could have done legally by going through the Justice Department). I hope you are OK with the Dem candidate extorting foreign governments to hack Trumps taxes and announce investigations into his alleged money laundering for the Russian mob.
10
@Mark Thomason Everything the whistle blower reported has been proven to be true.
3
@Mark Thomason If what you say is true (and I am not saying it is) it is made nul by the fact that the "summary" of the call released by the president CONFIRMED everything in the whistle-blower complaint...every last bit.
The rest as you so aptly mis-described the whistle-blower is an ACTUAL partisan attack.
2
I personally support Speaker Pelosi's display of defiance to the president's falsehoods. However, to dismiss discussion of her actions by simply comparing them to Senator Paul's during the impeachment trial is textbook 'whataboutism' - diminishing the seriousness of one set of actions by comparing them to another, often unrelated act.
Despite my support for Ms. Pelosi's actions, I concede that there is a discussion to be had with folks who may have concerns about the degradation of civility. This discussions is separate from that of Rand Paul's ousting and intimidation of whistle-blowers.
9
What Speaker Pelosi did was use actions to speak. She didn’t resort to name calling, belittling, or threatening.
I don’t understand how a fellow American can look at what Speaker Pelosi did and what Rand Paul did by revealing the name of the whistleblower as in the same category.
If they were siblings, it’s like one of them pronounced a classmate’s work as rubbish, full of lies and someone else’s work, while the other shoved someone in front of a bus.
And our President’s behavior, on a daily basis?
He’s like the kid who throws stink bombs on the bus, calls other kids names, belittles everything and everyone, and calls in bomb threats to disrupt school. He’s the kid who terrorizes every other kid, but who somehow is seen as a responsible, good kid by adults. You know the type. The other kids know to avoid him when possible because he will always get away with things, and somehow they will take the fall for his misdeeds.
Our President is Eddie Haskell with a side of Tom Riddle thrown in.
20
My preference in keeping with Republican tradition would have been members of Congress yell “he lies!” while he’s speaking. It definitely would seem appropriate too.
36
@Jim
And they all should have done it in unisono at Herr Trump's SOTU reelection rally after Republicans yelled four more years again and again.
2
While I think it was petty, Nancy Pelosi's ripping up of Trump's speech should be no big deal. According to a recent article in this paper, Trump routinely rips up documents when he is finished with them, leaving employees of the National Archive to tape them back together to preserve for posterity. However, Rand Paul's outing of the whistle-blower is inexcusable and dangerous. I hope this person has sufficient personal security. I can't imagine how hard their life will be, or the threats and intimidation they will now face. It will be on Paul's conscience (assuming he has one) if this person is harmed. If there is a law to protect whistle-blowers, why isn't there a law to prevent disclosure of their identity?
30
@Dee You're absolutely right! That was completely reprehensible!! It could not only endanger the individual in this case, but was obviously intended to threaten future individuals who might be considering reporting illegal activity. -- Please, God, let us get rid of Republicans come November!!!
I recall employing a similar strategy with my brother - it was the ol' 'he started it'.
However in that case I was eight years old.
24
I remember seeing Trump 'threaten' the whistleblower in his typical sputtering, phony machismo and impotent way along with those empty gestures he's good at ... He said something to the effect of:
' ... we should deal with him the way they used to ...'
He didn't say anything specific, but let's remember; his words have an effect on some people ... We've seen him stoke the anger of right wing groups and take little responsibility for the violence.
Perhaps the whistle blower should come to court with armed guards and bulletproof clothes.
30
Speaker Pelosi's action spoke volumes without saying a word. It seems that Republicans, however, just can't shut up. Any remaining respect I may have had for Senator Rand Paul has vanished in a puff of hot air. How many more transgressions by Republicans must this country endure before we have finally said "enough"? Hopefully, "enough" will be said in November. I shudder to think what will happen to our political and public discourse if it isn't.
38
To the detriment of his constituents, Rand Paul is doing anything he possibly can to try and be the next president.
He's hasn't done anything as a legislator and is always looking for the next opportunity.
13
Sometimes one image really is worth more than a thousand words (or in this case 888).
He shredded the truth in his speech. She shredded his speech.
That's all anyone really needs to know.
To be sure, in this age of engineered digital attention deficit disorder, history lessons are very welcome. The history of past Congressional floor stunts, however, pales in comparison with the (more sorely lacking) knowledge of how fundamental political change, and substantive legislative reform, has actually worked over past decades, or centuries, or even how the expressed views of key politicians today contrast with what those same politicians said in past election cycles.
15
Is there no bottom to how low Trump patriots in the Senate (and House) and in the Administration, will go ? I am trying to imagine how they will rewrite the high-school history texts to accurately reflect this Administration and his supporters.
39
Ouf, the nation is borrowing a trillion Dollars a year. Another 5 or 10 years of this, the nation will have very serious debt problems. Or if not that, then the other possible truth is that the nation already has very serious debt problems.
What Nancy Pelosi did with Trump’s speech, it’s peanuts. While Rome burned, Nero fiddled. The nation is fiddling.
39
@David Martin: The money just piles up in stagnant drifts and goes nowhere because interest rates are too low to cover risks of default.
3
In any other time period or president this would be an abomination, however, when you look at the decency and actions of this alleged corrupt individual known to have bestowed upon him the most powerful, respected title revered by many throughout the globe, then you must conclude that this behavior has now become synonymous with the leader of the United States, a country which at one time showed it's dignity, strength, honesty, and integrity it was governed by an electorate who stood for values that were at times questioned by some as many democratic countries who share the same ideology can attest to. To
now have the International Community not understand or
trust this congress and senate, to see the need for the
Speaker of the House to feel that she must, in front of the
world, stand true to the Constitution as written by the Founding Fathers who in their vast wisdom, tried to protect the country by legislating the ability for Presidents, Judges, Attorney Generals to be impeached and removed by a trial which was to be presented in front of an impartial Senate, rip apart a State of the Union Speech as it was filled with untruths is a nightmare that they anticipated could happen but thought that no legislator would dare perpetrate then to compound that with the disturbing event in the impeachment trial by Senator Rand Paul who knew that at all times, whistleblowers were to remain anonymous in order to protect them from retaliation and unjustified dismissal is
inexcusable
26
@Rachel Quesnel
Unhappily for this country, Congressional Republicans are fully complicit in tRump's behavior. They have also betrayed the Constitution, their oaths of office and have perjured themselves under oath. Republicans are also just fine with foreign interference in our elections if it means they remain in power.
By definition then, they are traitors and have committed treason. With all of this, Rand Paul's despicable behavior should not be surprising. Hillary Clinton was absolutely right about deplorables: to our country's shame, far too many of them are in office and have "R" after their names.
1
It IS uncivil for the President to lie during the State of the Union address, or in any other situation.
It IS NOT uncivil for the Speaker of the House to point out those lies in a dramatic fashion. Indeed, it WOULD BE uncivil if the Speaker had NOT pointed out those lies.
51
@Dan Styer How absolutely correct you are.
Pelosi's childish temper tantrum did not "send a strong message". It was offensive and did nothing but add fodder to the Republican's claims of partisanship. She has already attempted to make Facebook remove the inevitable political jabs at her actions from the Republican Party. She wouldn't do that if it was such a strong message. She's rightfully embarrassed and should apologize to her own party. It's also childish to point to some other unrelated action, divulging the whistleblower's name, as an excuse for her inappropriate action. That wrong has nothing to do with hers.
15
The two actions are not causally linked. The point is to compare their gravity. (The president’s basket of lies in the speech and her ripping up the text are causally linked, and rightly so.)
31
@ RR
The video she asked to be removed makes it look like she ripped up the speech during the honoring of the Tuskegee Airman. It should be removed because it has been doctored to make someone believe something happened that didn’t. She was not protesting the Airman.
28
@R.R She said she tore it up because of DJT's lies. Isn't that a sufficient reason? Unfortunately the uproar over her action is a distraction from the real problem that we should focus on. The state of our disunion.
2
Rand Paul unilaterally decided to ignore the law and reason. He can't be trusted and should be immediately stripped of all his security clearances.
61
@Dave
Rand Paul did not ignore the law, nor did he break it. There is no law to protect a whistleblower's identify being divulged to the public by anyone except the Attorney General.
3
@Joe Pearce
Gosh, Joe and Dave, it doesn’t seem that whether Rand Paul “broke the law” or not doesn’t matter all that much. He demonstrated that he can’t be trusted. Yes, he should be stripped of his security clearance, perhaps even censured, and voted out of office.
And we can say the same of this guy Trump.
29
@Joe Pearce, you know as well as most people that just because one can does not mean that one should. Senator Paul broke the spirit of the law. Shame on him, and shame on his state and our country for tolerating his behavior.
11
What Rand Paul did was vindictive and mean-spirited. It has the potential to permanently constrain an important balance of power in our government, ie, protecting whistle-blowers who come forward with information to call into question abuses of power and decisions that may lead to harm.
Rand Paul should be called before the Senate Judiciary Committee for questioning. However, that is not likely given Trump's other right-hand lackey, ie, Graham, is in charge.
They complain about the system being rigged. They should look in the mirror.
45
@Gordon Alderink Paul's actions have probably put the whistle-blower at risk of personal harm. It is not hard to imagine Trump's posse going after this person. Shame on Paul for risking the well-being of another citizen for his own political gain.
2
@Gordon Alderink
This is just so much nonsense. The whistleblower's name has been known to just about every sentient human being on the planet for at least two months, so that Rand Paul's mentioning it again is not even newsworthy. It has been mentioned in connection with the whistleblowing even in the hallowed pages of the New York Times. Paul's divulgence may indeed have been vindictive and/or mean-spirited, but so have been the Russia Collusion debacle, the Impeachment, the veritable Ku Klux Klan operation against Judge Kavanaugh, etc. We live in such a time as welcomes mean-spiritedness as a badge of honor (witness the manner in which most opinions in the NYT praise Ms. Pelosi's symbolic destruction of the President's State of the Union message). Paul said nothing that we did not already know, and he was under no obligation to refrain from saying it. Only the Attorney General is prohibited from making that name public; for anyone else, it is legally fair game. To paraphrase Claude Rains in CASABLANCA, we are all shocked - SHOCKED - to hear Rand Paul divulge a fact kept secret by no one in the entire country except the Attorney General.
1
Wrong is wrong. No matter if it is masked by words, threats, and acts of violence.
The question is now what can be done about it.
3
Help me someone out there in NYT land. How can a nation with thousands of Universities and Colleges X the number of Phd s and students that have maned and have studied in those hallow halls end up where we are at with the disintegration of our democracy all the while we are the most affluent nation on the planet? Question, what are we teaching and is it worth the price paid?
8
@Keith Barkett, I am beginning to think that voluntary blindness should be classified as a psychological disease. Your comment underscores the problem. Despite all the education in the US, we are still plagued by those who refuse to see or who look through a cracked lens. See the related article about Qanon in today's print edition; some of them have found their ways into academia, their propaganda passed off as actual history or civics. How many minds have they poisoned with their distortions and lies?
@keith barkett,NY. Fox media is very good at what it does.
Historians, even those elite professors at Yale, should stick to their respective areas of expertise and leave interpretation of the whistleblower statutes to attorneys.
6
So, why do Rand Paul, Donald Trump and their peers deserve to be running our country - into the ground?
With the exception of Mitt Romney I would expect to be scraping the rest of them off the bottom of my shoe.
27
@Greg
Don't overlook that Romney could only bring himself to vote to convict on ONE of the two charges. While talking to the press, he was quite clear that tRump had done what he was accused of, it was wrong AND impeachable, yet he voted to acquit on the second charge.
So much for "courage" and "conviction" (pun intended).
Attitudes trickle down from the top. And the bottom has fallen out with a low character inhabiting our highest office. Likewise, McConnell’s base way of operating has dropped the Senate’s caliber so sharply that Rand Paul potentially jeopardized the safety of an alleged whistle blower.
Was ripping up Trump’s speech Nancy Pelosi’s finest moment? Of course not. But does it compare with the abuse of power for which Trump was impeached, his bizarre and hostile speeches last Thursday, or the daily lying and bullying? How about with Mitch McConnell coordinating closely with the White House about impeachment? Or having declared that his proudest moment was stealing a Supreme Court placement from President Obama? Of course not.
The answer is restoring integrity to both the White House and the Senate in November. Those entrusted with great power should be worthy of their influence.
28
Mr. Trump's speech was an affront to any sensible person knowing the actual events he was alluding to and his misguided portrayal of those events. Worse yet, it took Trump a long time to do that. So Nancy brushing his empty speech aside felt like a breath of fresh air to me. I think others felt the same experience.
29
Confirms my view of Rand Paul. And of Kentucky, that they have sent Paul and McConnell to the Senate.
28
Incivility is the very least of our problems. In fact, we could do with more of it. How "civil" is it to remain silent as a President utters lies at a breathtaking rate - over 14,000 of them to-date?
I applaud Ms Pelosi for her public denouncements of intolerable behavior by Trump, but frankly it's a "too little, too late". Calling Trump (and the rest of the lying Republicans) out for his blatant lies and distortions should've happened from the start, and impeachment hearings launched much sooner. Would that have created even more divisiveness? Maybe, but really, after the naked display of party over principles that the Republicans delivered with the sham Senate trial, how much farther apart can anyone get?
We are engaged in a war over the soul and honor of the United States which the Republicans launched decades ago when they led the fight to overturn the Equal Time provision and the Fairness Doctrine that gave rise to right-wing propaganda outlets masquerading as "news", that enabled major portions of the country to be indoctrinated in their ideology, under the guise of "fact". In this Orwellian dimension, where "up is down, and down is up, and truth is lie, and lie is truth", Republicans could undermine our institutions, having already made truth malleable. With the rise of Trump however, we've reached a Hitlerian level of disinformation and disregard for truth in trade for unquestioned power.
We are at war. It's no time for civility.
21
@Kingfish52, Trump committed impeachable offenses against the constitution on his first day in office when he violated the emoluments clause with his reception at the Trump International Hotel in Washington. It's been a downhill slide from there. We cannot rewrite history, but we must try to save our future. If nothing else, Speaker Pelosi has helped to shine a spotlight on that need. Senator Paul on the other hand has undermined every principle of fairness that has not already been undermined by Senator McConnell. (What do they put in that Kentucky whiskey anyway?)
7
With regards to tearing up the speech, are you saying 2 wrongs make a right? That going down to Trump's level is OK? An inspiring leader with maturity prefers Michelle Obama's approach; when they go low, we go high.
3
The Whistle Blower, because he led to the attempt to remove a sitting US president, the most prestigious office, most powerful office, in the most powerful country of the world must have his identity known. Not only that, his real motives examined, his associations and past history made known so his context and rational can be ascertained for its fidelity to the pursuit of truth and justice.
6
@Al Morgan I suspect you wouldn't be claiming such were it a Democratic president having been impeached. The scores of witness appearing during the impeachment inquiry in the house and additional information leaked to the press more than substantiates the whistleblowers claims. What you're calling for is simply condemnation, intimidation and persecution of said individual. Fidelity to the pursuit of justice has nothing to do with it.
15
Baloney. The whistleblower’s motives are not relevant given that his or her allegations have been tested. Even if you detest this whistleblower, don’t throw out the baby (whistleblower protections) with the bath water).
206
@Al Morgan Bunk. That is done and vetted anonymously.
1
We really should be asking why Rand Paul wants to expose the whistle blower and put their life at risk. Who does Rand Paul really think he works for and why is he above the law?
19
Thank you for a meaningful essay. The time has come for action, the evidence is overwhelming and there is no more need for further discussion and debate. The Republican party has violated too many norms and values of our democracy and are now poised to undo the fabric of the republic. They must be stopped.
First step - whether you are a Republican by birth or choice, you have to recognize that they are granting IMPUNITY to President Trump, and by extension his cabinet secretaries and themselves. This violates our Constitutional Republic and they must be removed from office asap. This November you have to vote out the incumbent Republican Representative and Senator in your district. Vote Libertarian, Independent, Democrat, Green, whatever, but your duty to your nation requires you vote out those who grant impunity to anyone and subvert the law to their political ends. I would say the same thing if the culprits were Democrats or Independents.
In 200 years or so, when people look back at this era, they will see the dishonest excuses offered by Collins, Alexander, Murkowski, Cruz, Paul, etc... and also note the cowards who claimed Trump had done nothing wrong. They should see this abuse of power punished by the electorate, from 200 years distance, they should see it clearly. Mitch McConnell should not receive more than 15% of the vote this time in Kentucky. Write in Abraham Lincoln if you must, but do not give any more power to these power-addicts! Love you country first!
8
The victor writes the history, so who knows the nature of the history that people will be reading 200 years from now.
At present, Trump and his supporters appear to be winning.
2
@Suppan, yes, vote. But vote Democratic because it is the only party with a chance of defeating Trump. Political science has proven that a vote for a third-party is effectively a vote for Trump. That's not what we need or want. Making Trump and trumpism go as far away as possible in November is job #1. All else pales in comparison.
4
Eroding our democratic institutions is what the GOP is systematically doing. Rand Paul is just a manifestation of the bigger picture. Senator Paul probably wants something from the President and displayed his submission to his boss publicly and loudly. Zero shame.
History will spell clearly how the GOP is having America for breakfast and trying to perpetuate itself in power. In the best tradition of the Roman Empire or third world totalitarian regimes. The sad thing is that they might succeed. A mighty presidency, an enabling Senate and a gutless Supreme Court.
So only the people can do something. Oh. Wait. The people will get cheated in the elections because that is what Trump does.
8
With every vote in support of this dangerous, maniacal POTUS, Congressional standards have not only been shredded, but have crashed and burned. That Nancy Pelosi's symbolic act of protest provoked outrage was because it was easily understood--visual and instantly meme-worthy. Rand Paul's actions, on the other hand, required more understanding of context and appreciation of danger faced by the whistleblower. Such is the age in which we live.
However, in this era of short attention spans--GIFs, memes, and Tweets (oh my!)-- Nancy Pelosi's genius has been to understand Trump's game and play it back at him. That he is being outsmarted by anyone, much less a woman, shakes him and his supporters to their core in a very primal way. Her actions shed light on the real shredding--not the physical shredding of the "manifesto of mistruths", but the daily shredding in his diatribe of deceit--reminding us that we are a government of laws, not of men.
9
Rand Paul of all people. A professed libertarian, lover of small government.
Whistleblowers are champions of truth in government, exposing all sorts of government corruption or wrongdoing. Rand Paul should applaud all whistleblowers for this reason.
He is a libertarian in name only. Rather, a Republican Party hack.
14
Look, if a Republican does it, no problem. If a Democrat does it, scream and howl. The Republicans are always blaming Democrats for things that they, the Republicans, are doing.
Don't believe me? If a Democrat ever gets back into TWC, from day 1 I will need sound cancelling headphones to drown out the screaming I will hear about the national debt.
9
Disagreement and reasonable argument between those earnestly seeking an answer deriving from the energy of dialectic for the common good, embraces sought-after unification through the discipline of civility. Lex talionis, the law of revenge, is the opposite of this, and, as we now see, frustrates the goal of reaching common good. Monarchs benefit from the latter, but not the people these supposedly “serve.” It is odd that we celebrate annually MLK, while what he stood for in terms of justice and mission for shared goodwill regularly goes unheeded in practice. It is also odd, relative to common behaviors experienced and participated in, that we of the 21st century consider ourselves so highly knowledgeable.
2
Let's just say for the sake of argument, somehow a Democratic Congress and Democratic Executive are voted in, counted, and authenticated. Then that same Congress, following in the traditions of the Watergate committee, does an investigation into the practices employed by the Trump organization (political and otherwise) during the 2016 election and determines that not only did Ms. Clinton win the popular vote by 3 million, the 70,000 votes in key states were the result of deliberate miscounts. What should be done then? In the alternative, the new Congress chooses not to authenticate the vote for President no matter what the results are, what then?, Finally DJT loses the electorial college and the popular vote, states that the election is rigged, and refuses to leave the White House. The Congress fails to authenticate the vote. What then? This Congress by refusing to fulfill its obligations has set up these scenarios to the detriment of Republicans, Democrats, and Independents everywhere. Democrats should not be arguing with each other; they need to keep the eye on the prize which is the White House. History has shown that 2nd place means nothing in today's politics.
9
Rand Paul, a libertarian, used to be for the rights of inviduals and their freedoms, railing against the power of big government to surveil and target people of conscience.
Where did all that go in the cesspool of Trumpian vengeance? It's against the law to punish whistleblowers. By naming names, Paul has put this guy in extreme danger, all for speaking truth to power.
It's horrific. There are days I feel like I'm living in the aftermath of the French revolution, when Robspierre took names, counting heads before chopping them off.
What's going on is outrageous. To call out Pelosi for ripping up a speech to symbolize her disgust for the president's mendacity has no parallel with Rand Paul's essentially putting a price on the whistleblower's head.
Freedom of speech, even expressed in action, is under attack from all quarters of this republic. We don't have much time left to protect it.
820
@christineMcM So wait, Rand Paul was blocked from publicly asking a question on the floor of the Senate. You support that block. But he's the one attacking free speech?
1
@christineMcM
IMO, Rand Paul has forsaken any claim to the right to represent his constituents. Given Mr. Trump's fondness for retaliation and his boast of being able to kill someone without consequence, Paul has put the whistleblower in grave danger.
38
@Tom Paul was blocked by the Presiding Judge of an impeachment trial from outing the Whistle Blower's name; Paul then went on to announce the name when he had speaking rights and also posted the name on a board. Paul violated the spirit and intent of the Whistle Blower law by naming said whistle blower; but in hindsight, the law should have been written with penalties for anyone who had done what Trump, Paul and others have done: put the whistle blower in danger.
What are you missing about Christine's point?
69
From a few of the comments I've read about Pelosi and civility; it can easily be argued that Trump srarted it by snubbing her gesture of a handshske.
As for what should have been done with Rand Paul, it can also be argued that the Chief Justice has been leveraged.
5
Why does Trump's turning his back on Nancy Pelosi when when she offered her hand for the traditional handshake get barely a mention in the press, including in this opinion piece? That seemed to me a shockingly rude gesture on his part.
703
@Sue Winn I think the President regularly doing things that are shockingly rude have made the majority of the country numb to his bad behavior...I was going to list a few, but it's like eating at a dine, too too many choices.
40
Because we’re letting Trump control the narrative, yet again. Trump has been offending people for 75 years, he leverages the fact that he has no shame to get what he wants.
60
@Sue Winn A gesture of willingness to "turn the page" by a simple handshake is telling, if not of things to come. (A nonverbal Que.)
Thank you, Sue Winn, for pointing out; most of the press missed this.
18
"[Whistle-blower protection laws] don’t explicitly stop members of Congress or the president from revealing names."
Doesn't anyone else find this problematic?
15
@Andy Yes, I do. Naming names puts them in the "firing line" Which is why it is illegal under the law.
3
Whistle blowers are guaranteed that they will not be retaliated against for coming forward, they are not guaranteed anonymity. His name is being kept secret to conceal his motivations.
5
His motivations? No, to protect his life, in fact. Republicans can scream “but the whistleblower!” all they like, but testimony and Trump’s own words proved his guilt.
Everyone who is remotely paying attention knows exactly who the whistleblower is. (I'm not naming him myself so my comment will be published, but 30 seconds with Google will find you the name.) The Admission has known since before the hearings started.
We're not protecting anyone by concealing the whistleblower's name, we're just giving him an unearned air of mystery and impartiality. As the man behind the curtain, he has no history of embarrassing political activity, no axes to grind, no bureaucratic vendettas to be embroiled in. As an actual person, he has all of the above.
4
@Heedless That's funny, I've been paying intense attention to the proceedings, watched the hearings, have read through dozens of articles on it, have read the official documents, and yet I don't know the name of the person nor do I care to know the name since it isn't relevant.
The one and only reason trump and his fanatics want it known is 1) to divert attention from his acts 2) to open this person up to potential revenge by...anyone and 3) to cower future whistle blowers.
1
Will future Presidents now be very careful with who listens in on executive phone conversations and be circumspect about what is said?
Many have compared the impeachment process a jury trail, if that is so doesn't the accused have a right to confront the accuser?
Secret witnesses flies in the face of traditional American jurisprudence..
4
@Lane "Secret witnesses flies in the face of traditional American jurisprudence"? All Grand Jury proceedings are kept secret, for a reason. The House inquiry (ie Impeachment) is not a trial, it is akin to the Grand Jury. The Senate trial was THE trial. Had Mr Trump participated, and had there been witnesses against, he could have had witnesses for. And while I believe the Bidens should have been off the table because the trial wasn't about their actions, no doubt they would have called them anyway and given a Republican majority, they would have been successful. Ask yourself this question, Why didn't the Republicans call for witnesses? Is it because Mr Trump IS guilty, and the Bidens are NOT?
6
@LesISmore
In reality impeachment in a political procedure not a legal one. The founders realized it would be laced with political motivations. The Senate has wide latitude, they can vote on the House findings as is,and can call witnesses or not. Impeachment was meant to work only if there is wide bipartisan support. Otherwise it would become routine.
1
@Lane
"Many have compared the impeachment process a jury trail,"
Gee you sound an awful lot like trump with his "A lot of people are saying" lines.
Those "many" you cite are his adoring cult members, and so it stands to reason that they would since they are wrong. It is NOT like a jury trial, since there are no jurors. Also, the accuser is not accusing the accused of doing something to the accuser, but having broken a law that governs public officials, and that harms this country.
I'm pretty certain trump supporters are intentionally willing themselves to not understand these very simple differences.
We give people a pass when we assume what they do is strictly a result of fear-induced subservience. Why aren't we talking about the possibility that they instead see this as an opportunity to do exactly what it is doing: Bend our system ever closer to an authoritarian government and further away from a Democracy. Many in the GOP and the Christian right seem to welcome this and, may I dare say, have been working toward it (by creating fear and divisiveness) for a long, long time.
20
When I consider how bad our future looks, I remind myself that it was even worse during the Civil War and Great Depression. But I come away with the belief we've been very lucky in the past and that our luck may run out.
13
Republicans long ago perfected the politics of personal destruction, and Rand Paul is no exception. We have a law protecting the anonymity of whistleblowers, and Paul broke that law? Why? To curry favor with Trump and to give a name so his supporters can do their muck-raking jobs and create dirt where none exists, as if blackening the name of a person who reports wrongdoing somehow excuses the wrongdoing. Rand Paul broke a law on the floor of the Senate where the Chief Justice of the United States refused to allow him to name the whistleblower. Why isn’t Paul being censured?
34
@BG Because the Republicans who would have to vote to censure him will never do so. For them, the law is something to be upheld when doing so hurts the rival party, or serves their ends.
20
The big problem is Twitter. By allowing Trump to tweet, Twitter is allowing Trump to dictate, to be a dictator in real time. It’s not just a matter of free speech. People in leadership positions have a special responsibility to act for the common good.
You can split the blame for Donald Trump between Jack Dorsey, Mark Zuckerberg and Rupert Murdoch. The easiest test would be to consider where we would be without those three people and their companies.
27
It seems to me that "whistleblower protection" is to protect a witness to a crime, and it has been determined by both democrats and republicans that there was no crime witnessed.
On the other hand, leaking internal communications in an effort to disrupt ongoing foreign policy and investigations is a crime.
2
You are confusing the witness protection program with whistleblowers. Whistleblowers expose wrong doing across all industries and government and the laws protecting them date back to the 1700’s when navy officers reported war crimes being done to British soldiers to Congress.
7
@Joshua Whistleblower protections seek to protect those who report what they believe might be a crime. It's up to investigators to to determine whether the report had some basis. If it did not, the protections remain in place.
Unfortunately, Trump and his supporters, especially those like Paul who see government conspirators under their beds, believe that any who criticize the President are to be in any way possible.
7
@Joshua You claim it has been determined not to be a crime by both Democrats and Republicans. Virtually every Democrat in the House and the Senate found the behavior to be a crime. In addition, at least two and maybe more Republican Senators determined it to be a crime. One of them stated that he did not feel that it was serious enough to remove Trump from office. The other voted to remove him.
There was no 'leak' of internal and investigations. There was only a report made to the proper authorities that it appeared (because it was, in fact, the case) that the President was conducting an international extortion scheme to aid in his re-election.
I can only wonder what you think might constitute words or actions by the President that some other branch of the Government should know about without fear of reprisal from the most vicious and pettily vindictive person to ever occupy the White House.
Your assertion that the President was conducting 'foreign policy' is preposterously laughable and demonstrable proof that Trump has drawn his supporters into living in the make-believe world he has constructed complete with mythical deep state residents hiding in all the intelligence agencies.
8
Speaker Pelosi was tearing up her copy of a speech, while trump, was tearing up the constitution. Her actions are symbolic, but of no significant consequences. While trump’s actions are detrimental and existential to the country.
69
Lets not confuse Rand Paul's libertarianism with the liberal cause in America.
Rand Paul claims he is a libertarian, which is another name for a far right fundamentalist. Mr Paul has already passed the fork in the road between libertatrian and authoritarian and followed President Trump. Mr Paul has now aligned with Trump as the GOP rushes ever more to the authoritarian right.
48
@mrc R Paul is a LIMU. Libertarian in mere understanding. He knows what it means, he doesn't act by its principles. Liberty! Liberty! (with apologies to Liberty Mutual's Emu)
1
Rand Paul labels himself as a "Libertarian"; generally defined as "an advocate or supporter of a political philosophy that advocates only minimal state intervention in the free market and the private lives of citizens". He justifies his anti-interventionist foreign policy position with this label. However, he has voted to increase gov't control over citizens' lives on numerous occasions. His "outing" of the purported whistle-blower is just the latest example of his lack of respect for individual rights. He is a fraud, a self-absorbed individual who has little integrity. Hopefully, the people of Tennessee will recognize his lack of respect for gov't norms and individual rights and tell him to get another job.
40
@Bob Parker
Umm, that would be Kentucky, not Tennessee.
Although the good people of Tennessee have their own house cleaning to do vis a vis their elected representatives.
@Bob Parker - Rand Paul is from Kentucky. But we do what we can from here in Tennessee .
Possible, except Senator Paul represents Kentucky.
Chief Justice should have intervened by directing the Sergeant at Arms of the United States Senate to confiscate the materials that Senator Paul was openly displaying in violation of federal law. Alternatively, the Chief Justice could have directed the SOA to arrest Senator Paul for violating Senate rules. The Sergeant at Arms has constitutional authority to arrest and detain any person who violates Senate rules or is found in contempt of Congress
44
@George McIlvaine but republicans literally never do the right thing. So, yea...of course that wouldn't happen.
@George McIlvaine The Chief Justice would have had to have some backbone, and he did not - perhaps does not. He frittered away his legacy, his opportunity to reach greatness as the framer of Impeachment protocol. Very sad.
Senator Paul’s stunt goes beyond compromising the balance of powers between the Executive and the Congress. His main purpose was mainly political, demonstrating that the GOP will brook no variance from its hegemony and threatening anybody who at any time might oppose their party line. It is another step in the deliberate process of making the nation a one party system, with the Republicans under a dictatorial leader controlling every branch of the federal government, their own thought police, and most state houses as well.
This is where we find ourselves today: exactly as the minority of wealthy slave owning planters ruled over their slaves and the rest of the majority of their Southern populations in their own interests, and cajoled and threatened (and whipped) the rest of the states into falling in line, so today does the shrinking minority of Republicans seek to control every aspect of the government and extend its power into citizens’ personal lives as well.
Everyone is created equal... but some - through their wealth, their anger, or their religion - deserve to be more equal than others, according to the Republican Party.
The last time we reached such a pass the result was the Civil War. Now, I hope we have enough sense to just encourage the backward-looking red states to secede, let them go back to their idealized and theocratic past, and stop subsidizing them so we can tackle the challenges of the actual future.
48
@Pottree here here
Sometimes it requires violating norms to see just how strong they are.
4
Logical fallacies Dr. Freeman. Both actions are damaging to our confidence in governance. And I see, by your examples, you only find modern Repubs act in unbecoming ways. You need to join Yale debates and learn how to present a persuasive argument.
4
There’s a huge difference between the two. Naming a whistleblower is against the law. Rand Paul will be held accountable as such. Republican Chuck Grassley just passed new legislation in 2019 protecting security intelligence whistleblowers. Republicans created and passed the whistleblower protection laws yet they get a free pass to violate them, how’s that ethical or legal? How about you read up a bit before going to that Yale debate yourself?
6
@Lee Herring Sir, you are wrong. Both are acts of defiance but only one endangers the life of a person who did the right thing within the LAW.
2
@Lee Herring Oh, well! Yale. Wow. Mr. Herring must be among the elite. Eh?
1
There are enough voters who find pleasure in ways Trump and Republicans destroy aspirations for higher grounds. My bet, unfortunately, is that efforts to beat Trump in this upcoming presidential votes would fail. He would again boast he attracts the largest crowd on his second Inauguration Day.
2
It takes temerity to endanger a person's life. Rand Paul has crossed that line.
Perhaps, one day he will be responsible to the one who was supposed to be protected, in order to protect the laws of the "United States of America".
He is at the bottom of the pit of what is left of our democracy. There is nothing lower than that.
86
@Quandry When Rand Paul's life was endangered by the fight he had with his neighbor, he sang a very different tune.
10
Whenever I think about Republican approach to politics vs. Democrats approach, one word keeps coming to mind: asymmetric. Republicans are playing by very different rules then Democrats. Republicans are playing to beat Democrats. They don't care about norms. The ends justify the means for them.
What is the path forward, that does not subsume our national soul into the gutter?
If Democrats fight fire with fire, then the norms and standards mean nothing. If Democrats stand by the standards while Republicans continue to ignore them, then we cede the advantage to Republicans...
It feels like a lose-lose proposition to me. Someone, please tell me there is another way?
44
@Tom
Yes, restore the Republic.
Distribute the power of governance back to the people in each State and away from the beltway.
Distribute the power of the purse back to the people in each State with remittances to support the constitional functions of the federal government, like border security and national defense.
3
From a far away land, I send my best regards to you: I share your youthful (no matter what age group you are in) concern that the nation may be headed to the pit of hates and arrogance. I used to believe that the US is a nation that recreates itself through young generations who are positive and idealistic wanting to overcome hates, discrimination and arrogance. But now with the power of SNS, the types represented by Trump and current Republican leadership and followers are so powerful and intrusive that they are the one who are recreating the nation.
I hope the respectable Americans like you would reclaim the position to recreate the US, but realistically you would need one more Trump period of four years in order for Trump satellites and marginal Trump supporters realize they are putting themselves and next generations into the pits of hates.
@Tom just do what you can do and vote
Speaker Pelosi extended her hand to President Trump when he mounted the podium. He walked right past.
What if he hadn't?
Just wondering.
Remember when Pelosi was asked how come she was the first person who didn't let Trump get the better of her in a one-on-one confrontation?
She replied: "I raised five children."
92
@Just Wondering
Thank you, JW, for pointing out the fact that the President of the United States dissed the Speaker of the House of Representatives. He had just given Pence his copy of the speech, shaken his hand, walked over to the Speaker, thrust his speech at her and turned quickly, ignoring her outstretched hand. How boorish can one be?
3
I have never found much of anything to like about Rand Paul. I thought he probably incited his neighbor to lead to that celebrated fistfight. Naming the whistleblower was an invitation to the fringe element to seek out the legally protected whistleblower and do physical harm. It is a low thing for any person in elected or any office to do. Paul blew a whistle on himself as a bad character pretending to lecture the country on what is right when he polishes the boots of Trump.
101
Senator Rand Paul has chosen to become another one of Trump’s minions. The once independent thinker is now the product of the lawless Trump era.
When it comes to misconduct, far more was revealed with the sham acquittal of the most corrupt President in modern history. The fragility of our system of government was revealed and on full display.
We were reminded that the checks and balances prescribed by our founding fathers will only work when we elect men and women with principles.
83
So no one in the nation has any rights to ask the whistleblower questions, not even wonder what his motivation or his sources were since he specified that he only had second hand knowledge? (Of courses protection against negative reprisals should be maintained in any case a defined by law.)
His word is gospel we must all accept?
I thought all people had the right to face their accusers ... Of course that was not possible either during the House investigations, either.
10
@Si Seulement Voltaire This has been said over and over, but one more time: A whistleblower brings a complaint, and it is then investigated. If there is a solid basis for that complaint, things move forward to an investigation (and virtually everything the whistleblower said was corroborated during the House's investigation).
If you are ever accused of a crime, try insisting to the DA or the detectives investigating the case that you want to have access to anyone they interview to rebut anything that comes up during their investigations. A grand jury proceeding does not have defense attorneys present... If the Justice Department wasn't run by a toady, they would have taken up this task by appointing someone to do an investigation, like the ever-so-sanctimonious Ken Starr did for FOUR YEARS in the Clinton impeachment. The time to rebut witnesses is in the trial, but the Republican Senate took care of that.
Whistleblowers are important to the functioning of government and business as a guard against waste, fraud, and mismanagement...all things Republicans used to abhor.
68
@Si Seulement Voltaire
The only things important about what the whistleblower told us was if they were true (they were!). His motivations are completely beside the point. His information had to stand the test of truth and it did. End of story and shame on the Republicans, especially Paul.
60
A whistle blower is the human equivalent of a fire alarm. They are there to act and alert us of activity or an incident that, like a fire, is dangerous. And, like a fire, the activity or incident is investigated by folks who are qualified to determine what the issue is, and deal with it. Occasionally the incident is deemed not to be dangerous, a false alarm.
It is head-scratching irrational that anyone would wish to silence all future alarms and warnings as they are unwilling to face the minor inconvenience of a false alarm.
And even the objectivity of any whistleblower is irrelevant, because there will always be winners and losers from the malfeasance they report on. (No pro-Trump coworker would have blown the whistle. If Trump was found guilty, should the silent co-workers all be outed, and charged with conspiracy?)
2
The columnist is missing a much larger point there: In the age of social media, there is no such thing as anonymity. The whistleblower's name and political leanings are known and have been for some time. Technology has outrun any sense of fairness or morality on this one.
9
I find it absurd when trump and the GOP wine about not being treated fairly , about the Dem's breaking with the norm and about upholding the law when they support and protect trump who just flaunts laws, norms and morals in the face of America.
71
There is a four step progression around often divisive ideas:
1. Agreement
2. Advocacy
3. Zealotry
4. Insurrection
Whether it's abortion or guns or immigration or just the daily rancor of politics in a nation so riven as our own at this time, we are consistently moving farther down the list.
We are past the point of seeking dialogue with those with whom we disagree. It is no longer possible to disagree without being disagreeable. Our president has succeeded in part by being a master of epithets.
Absent a second overt Civil War, recovery might very well depend on our own Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
27
I thought it was funny that a late night show host said Pelosi was so mad at the prayer breakfast, that "she tore her pancakes in half."
That humor aside, I find it very alarming that people cannot respect federal law protecting whistle blowers. It takes incredible courage to speak out in any situation in which one might be denigrated by others, or perhaps lose your job, reputation, or be threatened, as this person has been.
This moment in history will live on and on. All the best to our brave and honest person.
89
Perhaps both sides have a vested interest in the whistleblower, who reminds me of the little Dutch boy with his finger in the dike.
The Democrats imperative is to keep the chain of collaboration secret to insure their narrative holds. In their eyes this man is a hero who gave them a viable crime to prosecute. The Republicans know that he would not have acted alone, but had some form of support, encouragement or guarantees from a chain that is wide and deep. They want to break that chain and reveal their motives. Nancy Pelosi revealed herself when she insulted the office of the President upon her welcome to the Chamber, followed by manic faces and distracting gestures and ending with a slapstick skit. There is no comparison to be made.
8
@me I believe trump is doing a very good job of insulting the office of the President all on is own.
2
@me
but it is OK for the president to not shake her hand. He is rude, crude, combative, and as we now are seeing vindictive.
2
@me Maybe we should remember that nothing would have occurred of Trump hadn't brazenly tried to solicit the help of a foreign government in his reelection by illegally withholding needed aid. Tooting away on a whistle without that would have meant nothing. The insult to the office of the President?
1
Naming the whistle-blower is illegal. Perhaps, the president can change that rule. But it's odd that none of toadies in the Senate and House are not threatened with legal action if they reveal the identity of the whistle blower.
What Speaker Pelosi does in her own House is her business. She has the sole authority to invite trumpy to the House for the state-of the-union address. All Presidents need to behave there.
75
Hopefully the good people of Kentucky will oust Rand when he is up for re-election. Even Conservatives and Libertarians support Whistleblower Laws.
He has proven he is as craven as his father was. Most Libertarians I know are law-abiding and civil people
Maybe Rand should be censured.
Or maybe Roberts would do something about it. Like write an editorial on Whistleblower law.
83
@Jean Unfortunately, the people of Kentucky voted Rand Paul & Mitch McConnell in as their Senators. The people of Kentucky illustrate the worst aspect of the US Senate, namely that the rural & least developed 18 percent of the US population elects 52 Senators.
10
@Jean Unfortunately, that editorial will have to come from the left side of the current Supreme Court. Lady Justices, are you listening?
3
I will answer the question posed in the headline by asking this question: Would you rather have a Democracy or an Authoritarian form of government?
Unfortunately, the "typical" voter in the US does not understand my question or when it is posed to them they spin out of control by focusing on some grievance.
97
@Allen82
Unfortunately for you "the typical voter in the US" has one vote just as you do. Your disdain is what it is, your Constitutional right ... but the disdain of many will have consequences.
Trump's very election is likely to have already been a consequences of such disdain for the people ....
The way this impeachment was managed will also be a factor in many people's votes for both sides.
Given the fact that university professors are not a great pool of objectivity (some 92% contributed to the Democratic Party in the 2016 election), it would seem unwise to seek commentary from a Yale professor expecting an honest, forthright analysis of the political situation surrounding the "alleged whistle-blower".
As a counterpoint, an opinion should have been sought from someone in the 8% as well.
10
@Sunny 4 Life As far as I know People and Professors are still entitled to their opinions. For now, at least.
5
@Sunny 4 Life ...."Given the fact that university professors are not a great pool of objectivity (some 92% contributed to the Democratic Party"....That disparity, 92/8, should tell you something about people who read books, respect facts, and value education.
1
Supposed "libertarian" Rand Paul cares as much about restraining executive power and defending the Republic as the entire Republican Party cares about deficits, character, and the Constitution.
If there's any silver lining on the mushroom cloud that is our era, it's the absolute collapse of libertarianism.
77
The Whistleblower is protected from retaliation, he is not guaranteed anonymity.
7
@Pjlit Actually, that’s exactly what they are guaranteed because anonymity is what protects them from retaliation.
119
@Pjlit
We found one Cesar Sayoc after he mailed bombs from his fever-addled lair, but how many others are out there, now given a target?
Whistleblower protection works about as well as protective orders keep abusers from continuing to harass, stalk and even kill their partners. And the plethora of guns in America makes attacks monumentally more deadly. Charles Sumner survived his caning; the whistleblower might easily be less lucky.
39
?@Pjlit ....In this case revealing the identity of whistle blower is clearly an intended form of retaliation. Do you not think the whistle blower and their family will be caused to suffer as a result? It was a violation of the law.
1
If the whistle-blower hadn't come forward, the aid would never have reached Ukraine. Along with the other patriotic Americans who bravely spoke up about Trump's extortion efforts, much of our honor and decency was made evident through the whistle-blower report and subsequent testimony.
The bright side of this fiasco is that we still may have a path back to collaboration with our allies once we re-strengthen the stanchions that the minority party took a jackhammer to.
98
The warping is mainly in the people. Our education system teaches civics while democracy is dying in the hearts of too many citizens and citizens to be. Civility and collaboration, the core of democracy, are lessons needed if our democracy is to survive
46
There are Republican standards and Democrat standards and they usually seem to be orthogonal to each other except when tribalism is evoked. In almost all cases we see senators or representatives taking a stand which is in direct opposition to their previous stand.
While the upcoming presidential election centers around Trump’s re-electability, our best response is to remove those in Congress who show no moral character whether Democrat or Republican. We need to send them a message that words and actions matter. That they can’t escape their history. And that they be held accountable for their insolent behavior. This is the only way that our representatives will get the message that they are acting poorly and to the detriment of the American way.
51
@Mark
In every other election, I would agree with you. But this election is different.
We have witnessed the failure of the entire Republican Party to defend the linchpin of our democratic republic: fair elections. By endorsing Trump’s use of federal resources and the office of President to tilt the election in his own favor, the Republican Party, en masse, has sent our country headlong into authoritarianism if not dictatorship.
The only possible path back we have is to seize all three branches of government from this criminal cabal that used to be the Republican Party.
Given our two party system, this means voting blue all down the line.
There will invariably be unsavory characters in a massive single party vote. And we will need to remove them later. But right now, restoration of our country hangs on a headcount. This is simply too important.
15
I was counting lies during the speech and got to 97. Sometimes T managed to put three in one sentence, which is quite an accomplishment considering the simple sentence structure he uses. Speaker Pelosi is right on!
158
Make sure no one will ever come forward again with allegations of questionable or criminal conduct.
23
@Gary I have managed to not hear the name of the whistleblower so far nor do I wish to. I don't understand why Roberts did not at least admonish Paul if not find him in contempt if in fact he ruled against Paul on this very matter. But he seemed a pretty useless vessel in this hearing and we all know why sadly.
71
@Gary
Everyone I know has heard the name of the whistleblower for the past few months. I want to know WHY the whistleblower did not speak at the impeachment hearings ? Why was he aloud to stay hidden if he was the one who started this impeachment (even tho 100 in congress had already signed to have Trump impeached months before the July call).
3
@Ruth "I want to know WHY the whistleblower did not speak at the impeachment hearings"
Because he was just the person who reported the crime and not a first-hand witness. His testimony was not relevant. If you called in a crime tip on an anonymous line, and the police investigated and found witnesses, and the prosecutor then charged the person, you would not be called at trial unless you had first-hand knowledge. The actual witnesses would be called.
29
Standards are being shredded across the board because we no long see cooperation and compromise as a viable way forward.
We have allowed an obvious disparity in punishments and privilege; enforcement or exemption from laws and rules.
Each side knows the other would do the same given the chance and will not hold themselves accountable.
When lawless opportunism is sanctioned and normalized, its everyone for themselves.
9
Actually, why would a whistle blower ever assume that laws or traditions would protect a person from being outed?
People lean on laws for an advantage, but not basic protection.
The successful whistle blower builds strong support among family and friends to withstand the inevitable blow back.
To do less would be foolhardy.
We need lots and lots of whistle blowers to render more transparent our opaque politics. This will be their training ground.
13
It doesn’t work in this day and age when your friends and family will become targets as well. They will also be subject to doxing and swatting, as well as death threats, not just the original whistleblower.
60
@Ann Jun I think what is clear is that the whistleblower legislation if it does not already provide so should include immediate arrest and jail for anyone who divulges the name of the whistleblower unless that person has waived their anonymity. Make the minimum penalty a tough one. Would love to see Rand Paul in handcuffs.
50
@Eric Clay
"People lean on laws for an advantage, but not basic protection."
What?? This is one of the craziest things I've ever heard. Basic protection is a major function of the law. Do you think people rely on, for example, the laws against assault "for advantage" but not for protection?
Republicans correctly realize they will never be in power again if they ever relinquish it. This makes autocracy look pretty good to them. They now have the courts on their side and are working hard on corrupting the intelligence communities as well. Never give up hope, but the game is looking pretty much over.
170
@RjW I agree wholeheartedly. If Trump would have been removed from office, or if he gets swept away this November along with many other Republicans on the ballet, it would be a major existential crisis for them.
66
@RjW
Excellent point, though not one many want to hear. In 3 years, Trump and Republicans have gutted the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau in Congress, put industry lobbyists in charge of the EPA and other agencies charged with protecting the health of the American people and the environment. Regulations related to clean air and water continue to be cut. National Parks and Monuments are being opened up for oil drilling. Witnesses in the State Department who testified truthfully in response to lawful subpoenas in the House Impeachment Inquiry have been fired. The NSA has been cut by two thirds, eliminating decades of foreign policy experience and expertise from the White House. The White House and Republican Party have become a thuggish organized criminal organization. They continue to trash Agencies and protocols which inconvenience the free practice of corruption by this Administration. The firings, as well as the "outing" of the Whistleblower, are intended to intimidate future witnesses or Whistleblowers. They are delivering the goods to their corporate masters (e.g. tax cuts, de-regulation, conservative Judges), while fanning the flames of hatred among their base in the hope that Trump will be re-elected, and that the Republicans will maintain control of the Senate.
123
I have been saying this for awhile and am glad I’m not alone in seeing this. There’s really no other explanation for the GOP to have turned into a seeming cult for Trump. They’ve met every loyalty test Trump throws at them - given up the power of the legislative branch to Trump, check; enthusiastically repeat obvious lies, even conflicting ones, check; no criticism of any sort because, for example, the call was perfect, check! (Only 6 Senators said Trump clearly did something wrong even without a trial, before ignoring it - as an aside, bc of this a majority of Senators agree House proved their case even with no trial but that seems to have been lost.)
38
Did Rand Paul offer an invitation? Did Trump know in advance? My gut instinct says that he did.
28
Actually, when I saw Pelossi tear up her copy of Trump's speech - in 2 installments, I couldn't stop laughing.
130
@Jenifer Wolf - Pelosi's tearing of the speech copy was the highlight of the whole evening. She is one smart, classy lady!
I'm vacationing out of the country and her superb finale to the farce was greeted by our dinner party with shrieks of joy and much clapping.
5
Senator Paul was formerly a practicing physician, a man bound by the Hippocratic Oath with protecting and enhancing the well-being of his patients.
In his current position, he presumably no longer feels bound by that oath to protecting and enhancing the well-being of government whistle-blowers.
Just saying.
186
@A. Stanton
Rand Paul wasn't a board certified eye doctor like he claimed. Another amoral career politician.
10
@Becca Helen - You are right - he formed his own ophthalmology certification board.
5
@A. Stanton I mean, was he ever a real physician though? Isn't he the guy who couldn't get licensed by the state board, so he created his own licensing board with his wife as its director, so that he could claim to be a doctor?
5
Perhaps Rand Paul would like to live in an authoritarian dictatorship like China where citizens like the late Doctor Li Wenliang are hauled in by the police and threatened by government officials for blowing the whistle on the Coronavirus, but most Americans do not.
By exposing injustice, corruption, and malfeasance in sectors from manufacturing to medicine to finance to politics, whistleblowers have generally moved our country forward, and if this administration makes it unsafe for them to come forward and for their revelations to be fully investigated, we will have moved even closer to a government run by “special interests” for a chosen few.
251
When did it become acceptable for whistle blowers to remain free from any assessment of their credibility?
13
@Jim Morrison -- That's already happened; the whistleblower said, "This conversation between DJT and a Ukraine politician seems wrong to me". The conversation was documented. It took place. The matter of "seems wrong to me" -- well, according to DJT, the conversation was perfect; according to most Democrats in the House, all Democrats in the Senate, and even some Republicans in the Senate, the conversation WAS wrong, even though opinion differed on whether the degree of wrongness merited removal from office. The whistleblower thus has earned full credence. In respect of the DJT whistleblower, then, at least, your query is ill-informed.
211
@Jim Morrison The House inquiry called witnesses and verified the credibility of the whistleblower's report. They could have called others with deeper knowledge of the situation, but Trump barred them from testifying.
232
The whistleblower’s allegations are not in doubt. Donald Trump’s summary of his “perfect call” confirmed most, if not all. The witnesses who testified in the House confirmed and added to the list.
I don’t see any reason to out the whistleblower than to send a message to any other potential future whistleblower on what will happen if they step out of line.
168
The real norm breaker was the charade some are calling the “Senate Impeachment Trial”
The presentation by the House was conclusive and eloquent, despite obstruction by the White House.
But there was no defense. The lawyers for the President had nothing but blather. No evidence, no witnesses, just the lie that the President did nothing wrong when it was very clear he had.
Yes, we knew it was coming, but the Kafkaesque spectacle was mind blowing in its confirmation of our country’s failure.
We were seeing a show trial, the hallmark of corrupt dictatorships worldwide, in our United States Senate!
And Chief “Justice” Roberts stood there and let it happen, and smiled and pretended it was justice.
And Republicans stood up one by one and unconvincingly pretended they had a reason to acquit a corrupt President.
And never was our country so completely and utterly betrayed.
We had a norm of expecting justice. Sometimes we were disappointed, but we did expect it. That expectation, at least at the level of our Federal government and the Supreme Court has been shattered.
We the People are still in shock. We can understand how Iowans found it hard to turnout in great numbers for the caucus. Some of us could barely make it out our doors for days.
But we will vote. By November the shock will have subsided some, but the anger! The anger will remain. We will not forget. We are unable to forget this betrayal.
325
@Chickpea
Well said, thanks.
The constitution identifies the three branches of government , their roles, influence and jurisdictions.
Two and a half branches failed in in HD pixelation, recorded for history. The GOPs epilogue.
Patriot citizens tho disheartened must be reminded that there is not only something of our system to rewrite and fix, but plenty that needs preserving and defended as righteous.
Dems will fail again if this isn't marketed correctly, an epilogue through inaction and indecision.
The majority non-extreme middle of both parties need to find their own voice and be a part of the 'RESTORATION'
31
@Chickpea
An eloquent and accurate lament of the dishonor brought on our Country. Thank you.
12
I wish it were possible to “recommend “ this comment dozens of times. Perfectly voiced.
4
"Tradition and ethics alone keep them silent"
And there is the problem. At this point in time I'm not sure I can name more than a handful of senators that I believe still have any ethics. Rand certainly isn't one of that handful.
154
@crystal
I can't name any Republican Senators with any ethics, with the exception of Mitt Romney.
1
@crystal
And Wisconsin had a chance to have Russ Feingold back as their senator - and blew it to keep the profoundly stupid Ron Johnson.
It is to be hoped that that particular stain on Wisconsin's reputation can be undone and soon.
@crystal: "Some are disguised as Senators, or hidden in their judging robes." - from Give Me Back My Country
Federal law protects whistleblowers from retaliation. 5 U.S. Code sec. 2302(b) provides that it is unlawful to retaliate against a federal employee who discloses unlawful or corrupt practices by government officials. This means that a government employer cannot fire, demote, reduce in pay, or substantially alter the position of an employee who reports corruption or criminal activity or other wrongdoing on the part of federal officials. There are limitations on this protection -- which would require more space than is available here -- but the key matter of law is that whistleblowers who follow the law are protected by the law.
That is why I've been mystified by the Democrats' failure to identify the whistleblower and call him or her to testify before the House during impeachment proceedings. Was there something to fear? Probably. It is understandable why a whistleblower would prefer anonymity. But a certain amount of courage is a requirement of transparency. As a life-long Democrat and proponent of impeachment (and conviction) I'm still disturbed that we didn't hear from the whistleblower. As a life-long proponent of due process I will always harbor doubts about the witness we never heard from.
8
@lhc We heard the same testimony from others who had no protection (and were subsequently fired), but if you love to listen to the President, the only one who really mattered was the whistleblower. It is difficult to see how one more witness would have changed anything at all.
11
Whistleblower laws were put in place to protect potential whistleblowers from professional and personal retribution. The whistleblower went through proper legal channels to report his or her concerns about Trump’s wrongdoings. The whistleblower’s concerns were subsequently corroborated by multiple witnesses during the House investigation. There was — and is — therefore no reason to publicly disclose the identity of the whistleblower.
There are only two reasons that Trump and the GOP want to reveal the identity of the whistleblower: so that Trump and his minions can exact revenge on that person, and to frighten other potential whistleblowers into silence.
We have already seen, through Trump’s statements and actions, many demonstrations of vindictiveness and revenge taken by Trump against anyone he perceives as an “enemy.”
We have already seen, through statements, obsequious acquiescence, and cynical actions, countless examples of GOP legislators carrying out Trump’s demands for fealty and revenge.
We have already seen, through doxing and violence, many examples of Trump supporters parroting and carrying out Trump’s calls to hatred and revenge.
Especially now, as we seem to be slipping quickly downwards into autocracy, the identity of whistleblowers must be protected. Yes, as always, endeavor to honestly corroborate whistleblower reports. But yes, protect those whistleblowers from retribution and revenge.
10
@Beth Glynn Fair point. Still, the whistleblower initiated the whole process leading to impeachment and the alleged "trial" in the Senate. If he or she was an upstanding employee with first-hand knowledge, which I have no reason to doubt, s/he should have been produced as a witness.
2
Senator Paul, I believe you may be entitled to a substantial inheritance from an anonymous fan who recently passed away. Since you now demonstrate no adherence to individual rights of privacy and protection under the law, could you please share your Social Security number and bank account number with us to expedite the transfer of this generous sum of money?
You may do so either here or on the Senate floor. You should have no hesitation to comply with this request.
99
In Robert Griffiths' seminal study of McCarthy and the Senate (The Politics of Fear), a drunken bully was allowed to have his way over an institutional body that put retention over duty. Senators watched as constitutional protections were run over by a human steamroller and lives were ruined.
Here we are again, days after Steve Israel wrote a piece here about the same cowardice in the face of Trumpism, 70 years later.
What is more complicating now, is that back then, financial support by the founders of right-wing paranoia such as the Hunts and Murchisons was only beginning. Now government serves the donors. So in addition to fear of putting service over keeping one's job, we have the added incentive of campaign cash, being targetted by negative campaigning and the loss of lucrative post "service" oportunities. Or worse, as in the case of Senator Paul, craziness in the service of extremism. Which the right holds is noble since Goldwater.
I don't believe term limits is the answer. We should want expertise to stay. What I lament is that we have moved from pluralism to sanctioned big cat bullying in the economy, our government and politics. Reclaiming our democracy is paramount as it was 70 years ago when a brave Boston attorney spoke to a demagogue on national TV stating at long last have you no sense of decency?
Now as then, it won't be coming from an elected official frozen like a deer in the headlights.
83
On August 7, 2016, the Times reported that, because of Trump's misconduct:
"you have to throw out the textbook American journalism has been using for the better part of the past half-century, if not longer, and approach it in a way you’ve never approached anything in your career. If you view a Trump presidency as something that’s potentially dangerous, then your reporting is going to reflect that. You would move [closer than you’ve ever been] to being oppositional, which is uncomfortable and uncharted territory and by normal standards, untenable."
The newspaper is saying that there will be "Trump rules" for reporting which will pretty much abandon objectivity in favor of opposition. In short, the truth will give way to incessant opposition to Trump.
I have quoted this language before, and nobody cares that objectivity is going by the wayside. As the piece admits, this violates the rules of traditional journalism. And yet no one but me seems to care.
Today's piece raise the issue again. The media doesn't get to abandon the rules and tell the story it wants to tell. Like Rand Paul, it doesn't get to make up new rules to suit its purposes. And if you don't object to this, you give free reign to the media to oppose Trump rather than to report his actions objectively. That's using the tools of editorial writing in place of reporting the news. You should object to this -- you're paying to be told what happened, not what the media thinks about it.
13
@michjas - This is an opinion piece. So, ..... I believe what you wrote doesn't apply here. But let's move on. Let's say I report something my president says. If he said it, it's a fact. However, if what he said wasn't factual and I don't point that out, then I am not factually reporting in total. And that is where we are. Repeat: That he said it is a fact. What he said is not. Journalists have a responsibility to point out the second part if they report the first part. It is that simple.
23
@michjas, I think you have misinterpreted what you are quoting. The author was not saying that the times must abandon objectivity in favor of opposition. A more careful reading of that quote will reveal that a more accurate interpretation is the Times will find itself favoring opposition because of its loyalty to objectivity.
2
@michjas
This is an opinion piece as noted on the page and does not have to be objective. It's purpose is to express an opinion that may, or may not, be valid. That is for the reader to decide. I've read more than a few opinion pieces in the NYT that I thought were just so much manure.
Your comment has merit, by that I mean that reporting should be unbiased, but it does not apply here.
2
I am no American but I have come to the impression we can do this for the US president (whoever that might be): see that individual as being really fair and using his or her enunciations construct the worthwhile. Love makes the world!
5
@M C Major Or maybe money, such as money is enables power to circulate.
@M. C. Major
We had that president.
His name was Barrack Obama and he seems like a distant dream now.
Thank you for your words. Yes, love is the way.
The purpose of the article is to shed light on some very serious violations to the functioning of a whistle-blower system that is vital to government accountability. Every human clearly understands the need for secrecy to get any useful uptake of an anonymous "tip line" system. The Senator very well knew he was being unethical when compromising the safety of a human being and also compromising the functioning of an important government system.
So, although I am always in awe over the writing skills at the Times, am I the only one who felt that the last half of the article went missing? Too much text was spent on history and not enough on philosophy and ethics to the extent that the main thrust of the article dangled off a cliff at the end and fell to its doom before the shocking magnitude of the Senator's inimical vengeance inspired malfeasance could be framed as any sort much needed "call to action." But perhaps history has yet to record what happens next...
30
If the criminality of disclosing a "protected" whistle blower is not clear in the law as written, then the law should be amended. It should not be necessary to await harmful consequences for those such as Rand Paul who violate the "spirit" of the law to face consequences. Rather, the clear consequences of such action, being arrest and jail time should be clearly stated in the law to make the cost to a violator clear.
Prevention is needed.
125
@John Williford Let voters make the cost to
Trump, Rand Paul and all disgustingly immoral Republican Senators (i.e. all except Romney),
apparent come November.
1
It’s been interesting to read the comments with some people claiming that the whistleblower’s identity is protected under the law with others claiming that the whistleblower is only protected against retaliation.
It seemed reasonable to me that it might be the former but I wasn’t sure so I did a search and found this on an NPR website...
"There is no overarching protection for the identity of the whistleblower under federal law," said Dan Meyer, a lawyer and the former executive director of the intelligence community whistleblower program. "Congress has never provided that protection."
But that is not the same as saying there would be no repercussions for identifying the person whose complaint over Trump's dealings with Ukraine catalyzed the House impeachment investigation.
24
There is no law that prevents govt from identifying a public-employee whistle-blower. There certainly are a number of rights extended to whistleblowers for their protection, but not the right to be free from public scrutiny. This should not be conflated with outing US spies or undercover agents whose identity made be protected under other laws.
It seems like everyone in Washington govt and the major news agencies know the name, but I do not. I want to be able to make my own informed judgements about the information and motivations of this individual rather than have others assure me than all is well.
OK NYT- Let me know.
9
@edward smith You need to do more research about whistle-blower protections. they are designed to protect so we can try to encourage people to come forward, so we can combat corruption and abuse of power. that's really all you need to know.
106
@edward smith The whistleblower is irrelevant. All of the allegations have been corroborated by sources with first-hand knowledge.
99
@edward smith I don't know the person's name, either, nor have I had any interest or reason to know it. I'm just so glad he blew the whistle. I believe everything that resulted needed to come out. A law protecting him and his identity should be enacted...…...for future cases if not his.
354
You are confusing whistleblower job protection with anonymity. Whistleblowers jobs should/are protected but anonymity is not and it shouldn’t be. This means you can’t call them as public witnesses. So anyone can make accusations and never be accountable for the truth.
7
@RobF
Except the whistleblower didn't make his accusation public. He took it through the proper channels which investigated his complaint to see if there was any validity to it. No doubt if he had lied about his claim, his dismissal would have been appropriately recommended.
106
@ Steve - but he didn’t go though “proper channels” Schiff’s staff confirmed they met with the whistleblower before the complaint was made. Schiff later contradicted his staff.
4
Whatever Republican Senators do, or Congressmen, Republican voters are not going to care and are going to be totally accepting. Remember when Bush2 outed the undercover agent? Nothing happened. What are the options? Document in the public press or media. Just keep it all out in the open and let the weird stuff keep building up. Should Democrats act like their hair is on fire every time Republicans do something unethical or even illegal? They are just going to keep on doing bad stuff. If Democrats are a little lucky and work hard, it’s just until November. We had to deal with Bush and a lot of dead service men and middle eastern bloodshed for eight years. So far, Trump hasn’t started any wars, he’s just shredded the Constitution and tried to end Democracy. The Republicans in general have much more blood on their hands from their inactivity on gun control, health care and environmental protections. So, continue paying attention and hope that whomever runs for President and other political offices brings up specific actions, not just high-flown dogma that no one understands.
33
We are on the precipice.
Half of our government seems to support abandoning the constitution for an authoritarian regime, and a large part of the country thinks that will be ok.
The other half wants to support and defend the Constitution.
The Constitution was designed to have checks and balances in place to prevent this very situation, but Mitch McConnell, Trump, and their accomplices just won’t abide by the safeguards, essentially saying “no one can make us”.
They have many key positions in the government, including the questionably appointed Supreme Court.
Trump always talks about a coup.
Trump also always projects.
So here we are.
145
@Grove Yes -- trump transference on continual display, an alarming reality. while Washington burns ...
40
@ the oracle-
Yes, but as Washington burns, so shall we all. Left or right, right or wrong, we’re all in for it. For the past four decades, republican voters have been continuously sold out by their Congressional benefactors almost the minute those votes are cast. No one ends up on the winning side save the Republican Congress, corporate America and the ultra-rich.
57
@Grove
The final phase of the coup took place on election night 11/2019.
Which in its modern version started with the Southern Strategy.
5
The point is not about standards in Congress, it will be about how Speaker Pelosi's action in tearing up the President's speech was richly symbolic in showing the Democratic Party's disdain for the working people in the U.S. who are working hard in this bustling economy, and see much to be optimistic for now, and in the future. It demonstrates the Party's elites care not for success and achievement, but only for petty political struggle to feed their own hunger for power. The Speaker has clearly already realized her mistake, as seen in the attempt to keep people from seeing a satire of what she did on social media. The mainstream press will no doubt try to carry her water for her by complaining about unfair representations of the shredding of the speech, but it's too late for the Speaker to hide from it. It's out there, and she's going to be reminded of it constantly during the upcoming political season.
9
@David Godinez In fact it was a statement in regard to truth vs fiction. Also, anyone who thinks the modern R party or even the President cares about the "working people" demonstrates that both Mencken and Barnum were spot on.
106
@David Godinez
I work, and I loved it.
2
@David Godinez Disdain for working people?? Since when is disdain for Trump lies the same as disdain for working people? What kind of planet are we living in when hard working people are being identified with a dishonest charlatan who has done nothing for them while shoveling wealth unto the wealthiest and use the power of the Presidency for his own benefit? It is astonishing how Trump
cultists have absorbed Trump's tactics of throwing back at his opponents those things he is guilty of. Working people have been neglected by politicians, but much more so by Republicans and Trump who pretend to care about them. Yet they are letting a demagogue who fans the flames of discord convince them that by blaming elites and any one that is not a white worker their lives will get better.
2
After the lengthy partisan impeachment sham followed by acquittal, the naming of the cowardly whistle-blower is inconsequential. I think our most articulate senator in the US Dr. Rand Paul from Kentucky drew attention to the whistle blower making a big deal but the chief justice did not answer questions about the whistle blower in the senate trial. So what difference has it made. I still don't know who the whistle blower was and I simply don't care. No harm done and no way worse than what Pelosi did in front of the joint session of congress and the millions of Americans who watched the 2020 State of the Union proceedings.
7
@Girish Kotwal It may not make any difference to you--not that I care if it does or doesn't--but it matters to the whistleblower, whose career, personal life, and his survival are at risk.
224
Dr Freeman. You can say what you want but what Speaker Pelosi did was the most disgusting public display of frustration, defeat, hatred, anger, childishness, pettyness, hyperpartisanship, and most importantly a rejection of American democracy. You can spin it the way you want. Historical facts will not change. She will be remembered in history as the 1st speaker to shred a copy of the president's finest State of the Union (SOU) speech. To the next SOU speaker either by the reelected president Trump or one of the dem nominees I would say if speaker of the house is still Pelosi in the chair just give her link to the speech which she could download. I am not the only 1 who thinks Pelosi's uncivilized behavior was reprehensible and disgraceful. A majority of all Americans think that way.
When one gets an opportunity and high honor to sit in a high chair facing the joint session of congress looking down on the president of USA, one should think that as a host they have a higher moral ground to behave with class. She is a disgrace to all Californians and women. I would be very worried and petrified that as the 3rd in line to be president that should anything drastic happen to the president or the Vice president she will become president and will be in charge of the nuclear codes and the red button. This thought will make me pray harder for our president and VP completing their first term than what Pelosi claims to do when she says she prays everyday (wink wink) for Trump.
2
@Jack Truckee CA. There are protections in the constitution for a whistle blower as long as the intent of the whistle blower were not malicious or partisan. I will have no problem if the whistle blower's career went down the tube if his intent was to harm the country or falsely jeopardize the presidency. Anyway the acquittal over rides the whistle blowers and it does not matter. No harm done If anything it gave the president a chance to brag about the entire impeachment charade and it exposed the repeated harassment of the president from Mueller futzing around to the FISA abuse to to the destructive criticism.
Just watch the 2020 elections and see how all the luck will run out for the democratic majority.
1
Naming a whistleblower would be actionable against most publicly reporting companies under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Firing witnesses to retaliate because they testified could be actionable as well. Sarbanes was a Democrat and Oxley was a Republican, and they co-sponsored this bipartisan bill to promote fuller disclosure, promote corporate integrity and protect whistleblowers. Sarbanes-Oxley brought much needed reform to Wall Street and corporate America. But it’s another example of norms that are apparently valued in every context other than the White House and the Republican Party.
235
Totally disagree with this shallow interpretation.
Naming names is actually ok. It is only retaliation against the act of true whistleblowing that
engenders a violation of the law, a critical nuance of the statute.
I sign off as a former Fortune 500 labor and employment attorney and licensed member of the bar for more than 40 years.
5
@Unhappy JD So in all those years you never saw retaliation when identities were made known. Did you also miss the witness protection program?
8
@Unhappy JD So how does the law prevent retaliation against the whistle blower by a foreign power after a member of Congress outs them? As Jack from Truckee notes real damage to the career of an intelligence officer is a fact after they are outed. While I agree Sen Paul did not commit a crime, his actions reflect very very poor judgement.
5
This particular whistleblower knowingly used a process designed to deal with issues within the intelligence community for an issue external to, and having nothing to do with, the intelligence community.
This whistleblower sought to elevate this complaint to the level of an urgent national concern, knowing full well that it did not meet the necessary criteria - as pointed out by the Justice department analysis.
This whistleblower and the superiors who allowed this to go forward should answer for their perfidy, and be brought before the Senate Intelligence Committee for sworn testimony.
The whole thing was a) fishy and b) specious, from the start.
21
@Objectivist You call yourself objective, but your comment belies the facts. Everything the whistleblower alleged was proven true by the call transcript itself, by testimony of multiple witnesses who listened to the call or who were involved in the operation, and by members of the administration itself (e.g. Mulvaney's press conference). If there was any evidence showing his/her complaint to be inaccurate, the president could have allowed it to come forward, but he blocked everything as if he had something to hide. The facts spoke for themselves and made the whistleblower no longer relevant. The only purpose of going after the whistleblower is to tyrannize people into silence when they see wrongdoing. That is the path to a corrupt dictatorship.
589
@Objectivist "Knowing full well..." and yet, so many people disagree with you. Not really cut and dried at all. Arguable, maybe, but... there's a lot of room for disagreement about how boldly a president can use the power of his office for his own personal benefit. Some of us may have thought that was obviously unacceptable, but I guess Republicans think it's fine.
109
@Objectivist... "This whistleblower sought to elevate this complaint to the level of an urgent national concern, knowing full well that it did not meet the necessary criteria" ...That is just weird. The President of the United States was withholding military aid to Ukraine in exchange for a political favor. If that isn't an urgent National concern, nothing is. Every evidence proved that was exactly what Trump was doing and he only released the aid when the White House became aware of the whistle blower complaint. The whistle blower should get a medal for patriotism.
272
Claiming the right to say what they want whatever the cost is the provenance of the media. They attack those they choose to attack and they claim the high ground even when it is the low ground. They tell us that those they harm deserve it. There is no check on this absolute power. It all passes for fealty to the First Amendment.
At one time, the media rightfully claimed the high ground. But these days they are nakedly partisan and there is no check on their excesses. And not only are they partisan, but they are for profit corporations that pretend that profit plays no role in who they praise and who they attack.
The media have become participants in the drama and the millions made by the most prominent media outlets make them suspect through and through.
21
@michjas
I might add, the damage they have done to American democracy will live on well past the end of Trump's tenure in office. He's going to leave sooner or later, and we'll start to repair the prestige the US presidency once had.
.
But the press? How will they ever repair the damage they've done to their own institution? Who's going to police them to make sure they clean up their act?
.
We're in a very sorry state right now. And it's going to take a lot of work to fix it.
15
@michjas - Actually, the "media" gave up the high group upon the start of Fox News. Prior to that, the media endeavored to be truthful. Fox News threw all of that out the window and started a full fledged propaganda campaign touting Republican speaking points. Is it a coincidence that that began the end of media objectivity?
3
@michjas
Regarding your provocative first paragraph: It cries out for specific examples.
Re: First sentence of second paragraph. When?
@hula hoop
While you're correct that the WPA in narrowly defined to protect the whistleblower from retaliation, do you not think Trump's intent was to retaliate once their identity was revealed?
And no, while the WPA cannot ultimately stop the identification of the whistleblower, three public does not "have a right" to know who the whistleblower is.
It's naive to think that the whistleblower will be afforded any protection at all, given Trump's retaliation against witnesses who COMPLIED with the subpoenas issued to them by the House Intelligence Committee.
113
"By far, the most skilled practitioners of this showy statecraft were Southern slaveholders in the decades leading up to the Civil War. "
I think that intensity, though somewhat diminished, persisted during the Jim Crow era, using States Rights as the political weapon of choice. And the Southern Democratic politicians were the practitioners. Then the civil rights revolution nullified the States Rights protection for Jim Crow.
And the Republican Party absorbed the Southern Democratic machine, along with the intensity and doggedness of many of the politicians. and many disgruntled white voters.
In my view, the behavior discussed in the article might be traced to slavery/ Jim Crow era of the Deep South politicians, and most notably, Mr Trump's.
65
Dr. Freeman's article is fundamentally irrational. The "whistleblower" law under which the impeachment whistleblower claims protection contains absolutely no prohibition of anyone other than the Inspector General from identifying the whistleblower publicly. The law is intended to protect the whistleblower from retaliation (such as adverse job actions) by superiors who are members of the intelligence community. It is not a blanket prohibition against identification by either members of Congress, or the media itself, nor by anyone else, for that matter. The public is entitled to know the identity of witnesses, including whistleblowers, who engage in actions intended to result in the impeachment and removal of a sitting President.
18
The public saw a parade of witnesses testify to trump’s abuse of power. And for what other purpose did Paul expose him apart from warning other potential whistle blower’s that their identity will be revealed?
329
@hula hoop
The real problem is the with the imperfect phone call. Not the whistleblower.
273
A rational and informed analysis.
Thank you for bringing common sense and logic to the discussion.
18
What has happened to the Republican Party? They were once fairly honorable, even if you didn't agree. What's happened?
147
Pretty much the same thing as the Dems. It all started with Harry Reid. Most importantly when he changed the rules to allow a simple majority to nominate judges. This unleashed limitless untold consequences.
21
@Glenn Thomas
Q. What has happened to the Republican Party?
.
A. The Democratic Party.
.
Our government is filled with one of the worst collections of politicians on both sides we have ever had. Both sides.
.
There's little to admire on either side today. Voting the whole lot of them out is the only way we will start to pull ourselves back together as a nation. And that seems unlikely in the current entrenched mutually-loathing environment...
16
Let’s not forget that Ried’s action was taken after the Republicans proved that they would block everything and every nomination that Obama proposed by abusing the filibuster. There were more filibusters during Obama’s terms than in the history o the filibuster.
259
Rand Paul was correct. If the whistleblower's words were important enough to impeach a President over, s/he should have been proud to step forward and testify in public. The right to face an accuser is an essential part of the Bill of Rights and of English common law. No whistleblower, no impeachment.
25
@Cloudy,
You clearly don't have a grasp of the facts. One, the whistleblower identified a concern and reported it to superiors. Two, that's the extent of their obligation, and they're entitled to protection UNDER THERE LAW for coming forth. Three, once a complaint is investigated, the proper authorities are alerted. In this case the complaint was not initially pursued OR reported to Congress, as required by law, by the DOJ. Four, the complaint was escalated to the DOJ inspector general, who determined the complaint warranted further investigation. Five, Congress requested that the IG testify about his findings, despite Trump's and Barr's objections. Six, Congress (the House) called witnesses whose testimony corroborated the items in the complaint - and more.
The whistleblower is not a legal witness in this case, and the facts since discovered have gone well beyond the initial complaint. So let's stick to the LAW and the FACTS if you're going to make a statement here.
458
@Cloudy The identity of an informant in a criminal case is protected.
Without that protection no one would ever
Give information to law enforcement.
If you think Trump is so wonderful and the WB so bad the country is over. Actually we now live in a dictatorship, let us know how that works out for the future generations.
45
@Cloudy If Trump was innocent of the impeachment charges them he should've been proud to have Bolton, Mulvaney, Pompeo, etc. testify.
22
Thank you Dr. Freeman for this thoroughly engaging piece; I have come to admire your work, and wish I could sit in on one of your courses! I love the way you bring these ancient congressional brawls to life, but I am also reassured by how an historical perspective can help reframe our current political situation. It helps me realize that “this too will pass” - just like slavery, McCarthyism, and a myriad of other dark episodes in American history have passed. It was never easy, and it depended on people like Nancy Pelosi and Adam Schiff (not to mention the brave individuals who testified at the impeachment hearings) to stay in the fight to bring about necessary changes. The pace of change may seem unendurably long — but history does give some hope that there is light at the end of the tunnel.
53
Fingers crossed. Hope you’re right. These are no ordinary times. It hasn’t been this bad since before the Civil War. And we know what happened then.
42
@Missy
But Missy, it hasn't passed. As we've seen over recent years, the attitudes that sired all of these dark episodes continue to thrive just below the surface. Exeptionalism? Hardly...
I’m continually astounded by the number of vitriolic comments I see in the NYTimes. It’s no wonder there is such a deep divide in the country. It seems that the ethically challenged use whatever expediency is available, never mind the consequences. I’m very sad for this country. The Grand Old Party is grand no more.
105
@Tiny Terror It strikes me that the divide could not be more apparent when I read someone bent upon attacking the whistle blower rather than acknowledge Trump's wrongdoing; that it was illegal and atrocious and Impeachable. Trump escaped justice due to his cowardly followers and the protection of his office, but even they had to admit what he did was wrong, and impeachable.
1
No doubt congress is no newcomer to behaving badly. What is different is the growth of the modern, 24 hour news cycle and all the surrounding video capacities. Now the whole country--on a continuous basis-gets to watch and comment on the political theater.
16
The real question is whether Paul could have - or would have -done this if there were a different person occupying the Oval Office. A person of higher - or even marginal - ethical standards would not have attempted to blackmail a foreign head of state into interfering in US elections and gotten himself impeached, for starters. Just as a person of higher ethical standards would not intentionally out a person who brings scrutiny on potentially criminal behaviour. Paul should receive the Donald Trump Award for Personal Integrity.
171
It's like Imelda Marcos says: "Perception is real. The truth is not."
Unfortunately, Trump is winning the perception battle.
27
@Michelle There have always been gullible and foolish people who are more impressed with the flavor of truth, though it be artificial. They have no sensibility of good or bad. They just want the biggest size serving they can get because they are hungry. Trump is just the latest chef who cooks for this crowd who will swallow anything in quantity.
1
@Michelle - Is he? Not to me, or millions like me. What perception is he winning? What we see is what we get: the most blatantly corrupt excuse of a man to occupy the White House EVER, a metastasizing cancer that one can only hope will be be chemo therapied into oblivion come November 2020.
I am not sure whether the author is aware of polling, but when she asserts
These are the sins that should merit our outrage, get us out campaigning and march us to polling places. The defense of our system of government demands no less.
she must also know that her community of "our" and "us" is hardly the majority of this country. At best it is a majority by a sliver.
Too many, far too many, are really going along with the various messages they're picking up from their media feeds and social web sites. That is, the economy is humming
along nicely so why rock the boat and get all out of sorts. Just toe the party line and have another beer in front of the tube. Life can be good when you surrender your soul for pocket change.
Civic spirit, critical thinking, respect for ethical principles have vanished for all intents and purposes in those who find little to be displeased about in witnessing the
various truly vile or infantile antics of that mob of trumpicans, be it nunes, jordan, getz, paul, graham, mcconnell (to name but a few); and of
course one can't neglect here tweeter in chief as the alpha male top dog to which all others must swear allegiance lest their campaign funding dry up in a flash.
No, unfortunately, it will take absolutely everyone
in this sliver of a majority to make sure they vote their
contempt and nausea over the last three years. And I don't yet see that uniform vision and commitment to a purging
of our very sick body politic.
39
Let’s start with a fundamental truth. Two wrongs do not equal one right.
Speaker Pelosi has been held out as a leader and a stalwart of the House. While I am not a Dem I respect her. With that said, what she did was wrong and beneath her. The transgressions of all the others are not an excuse for her action.
And, the vast majority of not all of Trump’s claims are true. There was much hyperbole and credit given to himself, but the economy really is doing great.
10
@Brian I would agree except that every time the Democrats have taken the high road, Republicans have taken advantage.
84
I would dispute the assessment of "good" regarding "the economy". Wall Street is doing great. The financial elite are doing fantastic, as always. Bolstered even more by the Trump/Republican tax cut for the financial elite. The rest of America? Not so much. To the extent wages are rising for low income workers... thank progressives for pushing new minimum wage laws in states where they could make that happen... over Republican opposition. There are always individual success and failure stories in any economy. Those should be ignored. What matters is the big picture. Wall Street wins. Workers struggle to lead decent comfortable lives in the wealthy country in the world. I see that as a failed "economy". But I'm just a worker. Republicans and corporatists understand me as vote fodder and will lie about their motivations to get my vote.
82
@Brian the economy is doing as well during the same time period as Obama's last months, and without the benefit of the tax cut sugar rush.
It has little to do with Trump. But the crash when it comes will happen on the watch of someone who will have no idea what to do if he is reelected.
This is the longest recovery on record. It will not last another 5 years.
64
Neither are behaviors we should expect and demand from elected leaders
Leaders lead, followers follow
Is it any wonder our nation is so divided?
6
I was surprised and disappointed in Rand Paul's disclosure of the whistle blower. Although I disagree with his libertarianism, I always considered him an honorable person.
I should have known better. He is a member of the Republican party.
711
@Richard Phelps .....you mean he is a member of the party of Trump, the party of Lincoln does not exist anymore, even Nixon knew it was best for the country to own up to his crime and resign , no such a luck with the IMPOTUS, he will burn anything on his path rather than admit to his crimes
13
We suffer from reconciliation envy....we compare to prouder times when honor, integrity, honor actually meant something. We are now led by those whose two dimensional character is established based just on words, not deeds. None have fought in battle, or sacrificed for a greater good. Greed and cheap motives define this group and thankfully we still have history to measure them against...until the book burning begins....
52
Pelosi's act was a matter of political theatrics, it got the attention and acknowledgment that it deserved.
Naming a whistle blower is going to have an effect on all levels of honesty in government. But as the author points out, there is a history of this kind of action associated with the American South.
What we have to realize is that behavior which just a few years ago would make the whole country cringe is now accepted as the norm. A presidential candidate who brags about grabbing a part of someone's anatomy gets elected. Honest, hard working government employees are "walked out" in shame for telling the truth.
Our country was divided like this once before, the issue was abolition and today it is abortion. I live among a huge family of Trump supporters who say "As long as he stops abortion, he's got my vote."
Both sides of the abortion issue are intractable in their beliefs and, I believe that nothing short of a civil war will resolve the issue.
We've got a much bigger problem than the shredding of standards - that's like comparing a sneeze to pneumonia. Like the current Coronavirus problem, we have got to contain the spread and destroy the source. How we do that with a divided Democratic party leadership and the egos of the four front runners is a mystery to me.
Figure it out or we will live in an American version of "The Man in the High Castle".
65
@William
A note on abortion.
That is easy, both sides work together to give women birth control and give women and men sex education.
It won't end all unwanted pregnancies and abortions but it might reduce it by say, 80%. Wouldn't that be great!
And I have not talked to one pro-life or evangelical who has not used birth control.
But Republicans don't want to fix the problem. They want to keep the fight going to keep evangelicals voting for Republicans.
Then Republicans cut taxes for the wealthy to be paid for by the evangelicals and the rest of us.
57
"Although not strictly speaking illegal, Mr. Paul’s actions were wrong."
The problem is, since there is nothing illegal about Paul's action, whether it was wrong is simply a judgment call--there certainly is no law protecting the identity of whistleblowers.
But the left-wing press just assumes that a bald statement, "it was wrong," must be accepted as proven. Many Americans don't think so. It is claimed that this "whistleblower" worked for Trump in the White House, an Obama holdover, and former Biden aide. If he really did react, as is being reported, to his personal disagreements with Trump's foreign policy by telling a colleague that they needed to find a way to "take Trump (their boss) out" then he deserves to be identified and an investigation is in order. The sentiment is insubordinate at best, and possibly treasonous. Small time bureaucrats don't get to set foreign policy over the wishes of elected presidents.
That ' the way a lot of Americans will see his actions, and is why the Democrats probably want to keep his identity secret.
17
@Chuck French
Really don't get the right wing obsession with the whistleblower....there hasn't been a single fact revealed in this long process that his disproved a single line in the whistleblower's report. In fact, every witness who defied Trump's illegal attempt to prevent testimony, and is now is facing the president's retribution for showing the courage to provide testimony, basically corroborated the whistleblower's story.
No the focus on the whistleblower is really just an attempt to smear the individual's reputation and establish another unfounded conspiracy theory.
The whistleblower didn't start the fire, he/she just pulled the fire alarm. Trump was the one with the gas can and the matches, who quickly ran away from the fire when he got caught at the scene, and of course as we all know has now beaten an arson wrap.
As a military officer, I've always been taught that pointing out possible illegal conduct and speaking the truth to power are admirable qualities in a leader, hardly insubordination...
883
@Chuck French You state, "...there certainly is no law protecting the identity of whistleblowers." Yes, because a law should not be necessary among people of honor.
94
@Chuck French
The motivations and background of the whistleblower are actually irrelevant, since most of what he or she denounced was actually true and motivated a legitimate investigation and impeachment. Let me remind you that public servants make an oath to follow and respect the laws and the constitution, not the president. Obama was never impeached not because there were no potential whistleblowers around, but because he never did anything improper.
277
"Naming the alleged whistle-blower is much worse than tearing up a speech." It is in fact oppressive to the greater truth that we need as a democracy. As for tearing up Trump's harangue of insidious lies he called the State of the Union, replete with bestowing our highest medal to a man who has made a fortune and career of prejudice, oppression and division--- during our long tradition of uniting the Union in the SOTU, the House speaker Nancy Pelosi displayed extraordinary restraint making her point that is still reverberating more than anything Trump spewed in hie speech.
430
The problem is the visual--I love Pelosi but she should've known his would play over and over and over.
14
@That's What She Said
So why is that a problem again?
The visual shows over and over, while the stream of lies from Trump is forgotten? Seems to be working the way it needs to, to me.
8
@That's What She Said
And I enjoy it every single time...
4
Wonderful piece. I wasn’t pleased with Rep. Pelosi’s action at the moment, but this piece offers perspective, something always appreciated by readers if not always delivered by journalists. Probably best, in retrospect that the Speaker didn’t have a ripe spittoon at hand.
97
@Tomás The Congressional dueling grounds are a historic site in Maryland. There are times when I wish the practice was not illegal! Although considering that most Republicans are BFF with the NRA, it’s safer for the Democrats.
12
@Lawyermom - OTOH, the war-lovin' (R)s are mostly Chickenhawks, who prefer having Other Mother's Children fight their battles for them.
2