"Time is not on Trump's side. But the weakness of the rule of law is."

[Miles Archer]

In talking up his “complete power” of pardon, humiliating Attorney General Jeff Sessions, and denigrating special prosecutor Robert Mueller, Trump has made clear that he doesn’t believe any investigation of his campaign’s contacts with the Russian government is legitimate. “A special counsel should never have been appointed in this case,” Trump told the New York Times.

With investigators closing in on his friends and family, time is not on Trump’s side. But the weakness of the rule of law is.

The pace of the various investigations is picking up. Mueller has assembled a high-powered staff. The House and Senate intelligence committees both grilled Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner this week. The Senate Judiciary Committee, led by Iowa Republican Chuck Grassley, has now joined the hunt, issuing a subpoena for Paul Manafort, Trump’s former campaign manager. If Trump doesn’t act soon, more revelations—or indictments—could further limit his options to act.

Trump understands that Mueller’s investigation is a mortal threat to his presidency, which is why he is looking for the earliest opportunity to fire him. And the obstacles he faces are not insurmountable, at least from the White House’s point of view.

http://www.rawstory.com/2017/07/as-trump-prepares-to-fire-mueller-the-rule-of-law-has-never-been-weaker-in-washington/

[Solly Mack]

1. K&R

[madokie]

2. If it wasn't so dire

all this would be fall down funny, BUT

[Solly Mack]

3. It's getting harder and harder to laugh about any of it.

And I can find humor in almost anything.

[ehrnst]

4. Once all this is over, we will need to rexamine our checks and balances. (nt)

[Cosmocat]

6. The checks and balances will tighten up real quick

once a democrat (hopefully) takes office, the right will be back to its song and dance of the need for divided government, states rights, limiting the executive branch, will investigate the shit out of the treasonous scandal of POTUS scratching his or her eyes while at the desk in the oval office, etc, with the "liberal media" and mindless pods of this stupid ass country dutifully going along for that ride ...

Make no mistake, if Hillary had won, this congress would have no other function than check and balancing her right now. I told people this long before the election, IF she won, it would look a lot like it does now in an inverse manner, republicans would just be evicerating her, congress would have no other function than investigating her admin, they would be endlessly screaming how how "divisive" she is, the press would be dutifully parroting that meme, her popularity would be pretty close to where 45s is.

The stupid in this country would be the same, just different in its symptomology.

[kairos12]

9. You got it nailed down.

[ehrnst]

10. However, we wouldn't have the dangerous cabinet

the immigration ban, the threats to scientists and the CBO, and any number of things that are much harder to get rid of than to prevent.

So, no, I don't think it would be nearly as harmful, and the GOP would not have nearly the power to carry out what it is now.

[Cosmocat]

12. You know this is democratic underground, right?

I didn't say or imply that SHE would be as horrible as 45 - obviously, we would have a sane, competent, decent POTUS in reality.

My point is, it would be the same hell scape in terms of republican bullshit, driving our feckless media and 2/3 of the country to believe how horrible she was.

[ehrnst]

13. I think that we just had different ways of describing what would have been.

And I don't know that the 2/3 of the country would believe she was "Horrible" Yes - many on the alt-left would still be throwing temper tantrums, but she had good numbers as Sec of State, and she had way more experience than Obama did dealing with these apes.

I think the "badass" HRC would have made an appearance early on.

[Cosmocat]

14. Except in the actual real world

This shouldn't have to be stated but, because people are people.

Hillary is a darn fine public servant - hard working, decent, smart as whip, works well collaboratively.

She would have in reality been a darn good POTUS, just as BHO was.

But, I live in the real world, and as much as I personally know this, I also know that 1/3 of the country are kool aid drinking GOPers and another 1/3 of the country are people who either flat out don't care to pay attention or are too busy to, and are influenced in their thinking by the non-stop hate hate framing of republicans .

Hell, she is not even in office or running and her approval is barely above 1/3.

A Bloomberg Politics poll released Tuesday showed Hillary Clinton with a 39% approval rating, 2 points lower than Trump's approval rating in the same poll. It was Clinton's second-lowest approval rating since Bloomberg started tracking her in 2009.

http://www.businessinsider.com/hillary-clinton-poll-numbers-after-216-election-2017-7

The hellscape that would exist with repubicans screaming "ILLEGITIMATE PRESIDENCY" threatening armed rebellion ... And, someone was going to dle, literally, if she tried to seat at SCJ.

It would be the same hell, different flavor.

NOT HER FAULT.

But, instead of our 1/3 having endless heartburn and having thoughtful discussions over the crazy ass shit going with their 1/3 waving their hands saying we are sore losers, you would have their 1/3 going insane and the middle 1/3, as they always do, thinking since 1/3 of the country is throwing a hissy fit, SOMETHING must be wrong.

[ehrnst]

15. In the actual world where people are in office, ratings are different than they would be

when they are not holding office, and doing a good job at it.

I live in the real world, and I personally know this.

[bucolic_frolic]

5. The Marshall Court

ruled in Worcester v. Georgia that native American nations could retain their tribal lands.

President Jackson told the Court to shove it and proceeded with the Trail of Tears.

So yes there is a point where the Rule of Law requires political will and muscle.

The more noise we make the better.

[barbtries]

7. A nation of laws

a cult of personality.

[ananda]

8. What rule of law?

Where is it?

I can't find it for Reeps.

For Dems, yes.

[llmart]

11. That look on Mueller's face...

I hope to God he is as determined to get all the facts as his face portrays.

The "other face"? I could do without ever having to see that again. He truly is a disgusting piece of shit.