Ted Lieu Proposes Cutting Off Trumps Power To Start A Nuclear War With North Korea

[applegrove]

By Sean Colarossi at Politicus USA

http://www.politicususa.com/2017/10/09/ted-lieu-proposes-cutting-reckless-trumps-power-start-nuclear-war.html

"SNIP..........

After MSNBC’s Chris Hayes asked the Democratic congressman what “concrete” steps can be taken to mitigate Trump’s reckless behavior, Lieu said:

I would love if they’d support HR-669, which is legislation I’ve introduced with Sen. Ed Markey, that prevents the president from launching a nuclear-first strike without congressional approval – because that would be war, and only Congress can declare war. And I think Congress needs to step in and say, “Mr. President, you cannot start a war with North Korea without first coming to Congress.”

Ted Lieu’s approach to governing in the age of Trump is exactly right. Not only should members of both parties be speaking out against this president’s reckless behavior, as he repeatedly has, but they should also back up their rhetoric with real action.

Barring the unlikely scenario that Robert Mueller’s investigation wraps up quickly or leads to Donald Trump’s impeachment, we are stuck with him in the Oval Office for more than three years. Instead of complaining about Trump’s increasingly erratic and dangerous behavior, responsible Republicans and Democrats should take real, meaningful action to limit Trump’s power.


..........SNIP"

[smirkymonkey]

1. Lieu and Markey are true patriots.

I think it is absolutely imperative that we pass HR-669 as soon as possible. We cannot let one man have the ultimate power without checks and balances. He is a madman and there is no telling when he might go off the deep end.

[bearsfootball516]

2. I do believe that steps should be taken to limit Trump's power

But I also believe the fear of him starting a nuclear war is overblown.

Think critically. If Trump was to launch a nuclear missile into North Korea, he would be impeached immediately. We're talking about a United States president starting a nuclear war unprovoked. The vote would be 100-0 in the Senate and 435-0 in the House. It would happen in a matter of hours.

Even Trump, dumb as he is, knows this. He's not going to instantly end his presidency and seal his legacy as the worst president in US history.

[tableturner]

3. Except he knows he is guilty of many crimes with impeachment coming anyway.

He can sit back and go to prison, or he can try the only two hail Mary's available to him:

1. Via constant trashing of the press, the FBI, the intelligence community, potential witnesses against him (Comey, et al), along with Mueller and crew (temporarily halted for a couple of weeks, but soon to return, for sure), he is preparing, and actually in the early stages of executing, his plan to foment armed rebellion to protect him from any possible aggressors, whether they be prosecutors or Congress.

2. Failing that, try to start a war, not only for deflection, but also to present a crisis in which "the president cannot be hampered by a political lynching while our country's existence is in jeopardy thanks to a serious shooting war with Korea" (maybe Iran, who knows).

Yeah....this strategy is crazy, but if the alternative is for him to march himself to prison for the rest of his life, then war it will be, and he will not give a damn about millions of lives lost or anything else other than staying out of prison.

[flying rabbit]

5. I don't think he knows he is guilty.

He thinks he can do what he wants, and that he is the smartest man on the planet.

[Cartoonist]

4. Uncertain forecast

The gop can not be counted on. I see no such unanimity. Trump would have to drop a nuke on Alabama to get those numbers.