General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsStuart G
(38,421 posts)I doubt it...but it is a hope....k and r.
L. Coyote
(51,129 posts)wiggs
(7,812 posts)a few words from her, true or not, and he's toast. That makes him blackmail-able. And not just by her, but by anyone with knowledge of the meeting, deal, conversation, exchange, etc. Compromised and untrustworthy.
Shouldn't be allowed within a mile of the WH.
Not Ruth
(3,613 posts)bettyellen
(47,209 posts)wiggs
(7,812 posts)retrowire
(10,345 posts)Oh for fucks sake can someone knife me in the face already?
Chemisse
(30,811 posts)Are they waiting for a confession written in blood?
LovingA2andMI
(7,006 posts)George II
(67,782 posts)Portland_Anni
(164 posts)... like Charlie Manson to help ground him closer to reality.
Stonepounder
(4,033 posts)First, I want PINO gone before he screws over the US in his never ending quest for adulation every bit as everyone else here (although Pence, in his own way, could be even worse).
But, let's quit throwing around the 'T' word. The Constitution is very specific about what constitutes treason, and it is a pretty high bar and the wording is very specific. Now, IANAL, and certainly not a lawyer who specializes in Constitutional law, but, it seems to me that it would be a stretch to try and meet the legal definition of 'giving aid and comfort to the enemy'.
First of all, the term 'enemy' is understood per international law, as someone with whom a nation is engaged in hostilities with. The US is not at war with Russia, at least not in the commonly understood meaning of war.
I think that getting a treason indictment and guilty verdict from a Federal court is just not in the cards. It might be barely possible to get an impeachment for 'treason', but again, I doubt that Congress would really want to use that word in an impeachment proceeding.
I can think of lots more things that Congress could use for impeachment that would go down a lot easier with both Congress itself and with the general population. Things like 'collusion' with a foreign power to influence the election, failure to adhere to the Constitution, failure to perform the duties of the Presidency, etc.
This is just IMHO, but I think we do a disservice to our cause to keep tossing out the word 'treason'. It is just too high a bar and tends diminish the other charges that probably can be made to stick.
BainsBane
(53,032 posts)But certainly in colloquial terms it qualifies as treason.
Cosmocat
(14,564 posts)nm
Cosmocat
(14,564 posts)From Merriam Webster:
"the offense of attempting by overt acts to overthrow the government of the state to which the offender owes allegiance or to kill or personally injure the sovereign or the sovereign's family."
This directly, and literally what 45 and company did. No ifs, ands, or buts.
And, THIS "well, technically, the prosecution of treason ... the standard to successfully prosecute ..." bullshit is why we are where we are at.
This country spent two full months debating how much of a disgrace it was when candidate Obama didn't wear a flag pin cause Rs threw a nutty over it.
But, sure, we can't call treason, treason, cause gee, some would be lawyers or haughty, self absorbed lawyers want to act like they are the be all, in saying that this, the most horrible of all horrible actions by POTUS we have ever seen just can't be prosecuted as treason, and frankly, when this is all said and done, that is not sure bet by any means.
obamachangetheworld
(121 posts)It may not be the Capital "T" treason outlined in Section 110 of art. III, but clearly the Trump admin seeks to give "aid and comfort" to the Russians by recieving helpful information from the Russian govt in exchange for help with "adoptions" (a clear reference to Magnitsky Act sanctioning Russian individuals).
Now is Russia our enemy? It is often our enemy by proxy. They have been supporting Assad while we support the Free Syrian Army, they are actively assaulting Ukraine, and the Intelligence Community has concluded that Russia attacked the bedrock of our democracy, a free and fair election.
So while this may not be capital treason, it is certainly treasonous. It is allying with Russians against the American people.
AntiFascist
(12,792 posts)the whole idea of QUID PRO QUO surrounds these investigations, involving the Trump family's personal stake in their business interests, not to mention the money laundering activities involving real estate and banking that we know Russia has already been involved with. The Trump empire may very well be compromised by Russia and Russian oligarchs' investments while the President is placing his personal obligations to Russia ahead of those of our nation's interests. The legal bar for Treason may be set high, but when a head of state is so clearly working so hard to place the interests of a foreign power ahead of those that he should be representing, then there is nothing else to say other than that he is acting as an agent of that foreign power, which is treasonous behavior pure and simple! I am happy to see CNN and other media outlets finally using this word and calling out the administration for what it is.