A case for a special election for the President of the United States (Grasping at straws)

The Billings Gazette ^ | March 26, 2017 | Professor Chris Edelson

[2ndDivisionVet]

After just two months, there is no question that the Donald Trump presidency is an unmitigated disaster.

The FBI is conducting an investigation to determine whether members of the Trump campaign cooperated with Russian efforts to help elect Donald Trump last year. This by itself is extraordinary and unprecedented. As Republicans noted last year, it is very difficult to have a presidential administration under FBI investigation.

No one knows what the investigation will find, but what we already know is bad enough. Senior Trump advisors lied about their contacts with Russian officials; one, Michael Flynn, was forced to resign from the administration....

[2ndDivisionVet]

Next they'll want a "mild" military coup.

[FlingWingFlyer]

I don’t think America is ready for that much bloodshed “perfeser” Chrissy. You should probably STFU. If you aren’t happy with the election results, take your goatsmellin’, Marxist ass somewhere else. Try Mexico.

[chris37]

“After just two months, there is no question that the Donald Trump presidency is an unmitigated disaster.”

What an interesting opinion that I don’t share in any way, shape or form.

Since I don’t have any need for a special election for President of the United States, they can’t have one.

Too bad, so sad. Democrats need to learn to accept election results.

Otherwise they can GTFO out of my country and go found Democratistan at the bottom of the ocean or wherever.

[dp0622]

They ALREADY want a violent one but the left has always been smart at taking gradual steps.

They did it with morality.

It’s not impossible that they talked with Russians. It ain’t against the law.

But it will be prosecuted in the msm like one.

Good thing no one gives a #### about the MSM and no one besides dem congressmen, lib psychos and msm have an ounce of trust in the fbi or cia.

Like I said before, after EVERYTHING obama did, I wouldn’t care if a video surfaced of Trump and Putin in a sauna discussing money transfers.

[Slyfox]

January, February, March ... it has been 2 months since he became president.

Nah, what they really mean is that Trump is ruining everything for them - he's cutting money out of their pet projects and he's cutting their longtime staffers and hell, Valerie has to work from a remote location.

[jonrick46]

This is the mentality of the Left that does the same thing over and over again; expecting different results. This professor has not figured out that the Marxism he supports has failed every time it has been tried. Of course the Left is a mental disorder.

[FlingWingFlyer]

Americans put up with EIGHT YEARS of an “unmitigated disaster” from the Bonzo administration. Eight years of President Trump won’t hurt anything.

[WMarshal]

I used to deliver that rag as a paperboy in the 80s. It was lefty shit even back then. Montana is God’s country but, like Eden, there are snakes there.

[Zeppo]

After just two months, there is no question that the Donald Trump presidency is an unmitigated disaster.

After just two minutes of reading this tripe, there is no question that Professor Chris Edelson is an unmitigated idiot.

[Fedora]

Here's the author's website bio. The linked CV says he's worked for Human Rights Campaign as an Open Society Institute Fellow (i.e. Soros) on LGBT issues, which looks to be his area of legal specialty.

---

Professor Chris Edelson's Blog

Chris Edelson is currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Government at American University. His teaching and research interests focus on constitutional interpretation, presidential power, and the U.S. Supreme Court. Prior to joining the AU faculty, Professor Edelson practiced employment discrimination law and also served as state legislative director for the Human Rights Campaign. Classes taught include Civil Rights and Liberties, The American Constitution, Individual Freedom v. Authority, and The Constitution, National Security and the “War on Terror”.

For more info, check out his full CV here. Order a copy of his new book online, Emergency Presidential Power: From the Drafting of the Constitution to the War on Terror.

Degrees

B.A. Brandeis University, J.D. Harvard Law School

[MHT]

I think that Trump signing 38 Executive Orders to get America moving again have demonstrated more success in 60 days than Obozo gave us in 8 years. We are going to get rid of Obamacare...probably when it collapses before the end of the year. We are going to get at least part of a wall this year as well as some sort of tax relief. Demonstrable measurable results make Trump a better President than any Dem or undermining traitorous Speaker from Wisconsin.

[ifinnegan]

How does he think this election would happen.

This is an amazing time.

Ostensibly professional and rational people go out of their way to show the world they’ve got out of their minds.

[Doogle]

Mexico is too close......better Argentina

[ifinnegan]

Assistant prof should prolly have not broadcast his lunacy.

He probably thinks it’ll help him get tenure.

[Ouderkirk]

This clown is a J.D. from Harvard Law. Another shining example of why Harvard Law should be shut down and its graduates degrees and law licenses revoked.

[Tzimisce]

Aw - no comments section?

[Vendome]

Well, let’s unpack this 3rd grade idiocy.

“Here’s how it could work: Each chamber of Congress, the House and the Senate, would have to vote by a two-thirds majority to hold a special election. three-quarters of state legislatures would have to ratify the amendment. The amendment would call for a one time special election, allowing qualified political parties (the Republicans and Democrats, and other parties who can meet a threshold to qualify for the ballot) one month to choose a nominee and then one month for a general election, to be held on a national holiday. The amendment would make clear this is a one-time event. After the election is held, we would revert to pre-existing constitutional procedures, for example, with a presidential election held every four years. The amendment could also provide for a national unity government to occupy the executive branch while the short election campaign goes on.”

Ex Post Facto
Let’s start with “Ex-Post Facto” to make it quick. A law that retroactively changes the legal consequences (or status) of actions that were committed, or relationships that existed, before the enactment of the law isn’t going to pass constitutional muster and would be tied up in courts long enough for a second Trump term.

Stupid and any 8th grader would understand this, if they took civics class and a study of the constitution was involved.

Get 2/3rds of Congress to hold a special election and three quarters of state legislators to ratify your moron idea? ROTFLMAO!!!

If, that’s IF, you could corral 2/3rds of congress on your lunatic idea it really would be unnecessary, as you would already have the number of votes required for impeachment.

Do you want Skittles with the Unicorn?

Your amendment would have to include a precursor element for removal of the sitting president and the elements of “infractions” or “specific qualified and provable imbecilic or dotage natures, that would be provable and how it the congress would prosecute such an allegation”.

Allow qualified political parties to meet some threshold? Well okay, you are now rewriting several sections of the existing constitution and those won’t be challenged in court, right?

You demand a “One Month” primary season? ROTFLMAO again...and then one month thereafter for the general election? At what point do you consider how long it takes to choose, vet and elect uhm The Electoral College? or is this going to be some full on democratic experiment and you will just tabulate the popular vote?

A national unity government would occupy the executive branch while your hairbrained idea is experimented with?

Then you are nulligying the election of the Vice President of the United States as well. What will you do with him in the interim or there is there some consolation prize while he sits sidelined?

Give him some of those delicious Cadbury Yellow Marshmallow Easter Bunnies? What if he prefers the blue ones? I know I prefer the blue bunnies.

If you have an interim government in the Executive branch will they then be able to simply make appointments for however long your experiment into Kafka land exists?

You people really are retarded.

[Bullish]

Ditto

[Luke21]

Did you really expect them to let people answer this idiot?

[Yosemitest]

Violence" I wonder what the Obama minions did with all that ammo they bought, just to keep the markets dried up of .22LG rounds, .223 ammo, and many other popular choices of ammo.

Now as far as Trump and their screams of no evidence: they should have not reported the evidence that Trump has, before they backpedalled claiming that their own reports are "not evidence" .


Pay very close attention to ITEMS #4 and #5:

Found by Mark Levin at Mark Levin PROVES Trump Wiretapping Claims: ‘The Evidence Is Overwhelming’ #ObamaGate
(They went to the FISA, that's the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, Court not once ... BUT TWICE ! ) :

1. Heat street, November 7, 2016 EXCLUSIVE: FBI ‘Granted FISA Warrant’ Covering Trump Camp’s Ties To Russia
“Two separate sources with links to the counter-intelligence community have confirmed to Heat Street that the FBI sought, and was granted, a FISA court warrant in October, giving counter-intelligence permission to examine the activities of ‘U.S. persons’ in Donald Trump’s campaign with ties to Russia.

… The first request, which, sources say, named Trump, was denied back in June, but the second was drawn more narrowly and was granted in October after evidence was presented of a server, possibly related to the Trump campaign, and its alleged links to two banks; SVB Bank and Russia’s Alfa Bank. While the Times story speaks of metadata, sources suggest that a FISA warrant was granted to look at the full content of emails and other related documents that may concern US persons.”


2. The Guardian, Jan 10 2017 John McCain passes dossier alleging secret Trump-Russia contacts to FBI
“ … The Guardian has learned that the FBI applied for a warrant from the foreign intelligence surveillance (Fisa) court over the summer in order to monitor four members of the Trump team suspected of irregular contacts with Russian officials. …

“ … The Fisa court turned down the application asking FBI counter-intelligence investigators to narrow its focus. According to one report, the FBI was finally granted a warrant in October, … “


3. McClatchy, JANUARY 18, 2017 FBI, 5 other agencies probe possible covert Kremlin aid to Trump
“The FBI and five other law enforcement and intelligence agencies have collaborated for months in an investigation into Russian attempts to influence the November election, including whether money from the Kremlin covertly aided President-elect Donald Trump, two people familiar with the matter said.

The agencies involved in the inquiry are the FBI, the CIA, the National Security Agency, the Justice Department, the Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network and representatives of the director of national intelligence, the sources said. …”


4. New Your Times, January 19 2017 Intercepted Russian Communications Part of Inquiry Into Trump Associates

“… The F.B.I. is leading the investigations, aided by the National Security Agency, the C.I.A. and the Treasury Department’s financial crimes unit. The investigators have accelerated their efforts in recent weeks but have found no conclusive evidence of wrongdoing, the officials said. One official said intelligence reports based on some of the WIRETAPPED communications had been provided to the White House. …”


5. New York Times, Jan 12 2017 N.S.A. Gets More Latitude to Share Intercepted Communications
“In its final days, the Obama administration has expanded the power of the National Security Agency to share globally intercepted personal communications with the government’s 16 other intelligence agencies BEFORE APPLYING PRIVACY PROTECTIONS.”


6. New York Times, March 1 2017 Obama Administration Rush To Preserve Intelligence of Russian Election Hacking
"In the Obama administration’s last days, some White House officials scrambled to spread information about Russian efforts to undermine the presidential election — and about possible contacts between associates of President-elect Donald J. Trump and Russians — across the government.”


7. New York Times, Feb 9 2017 Flynn Is Said to Have Talked to Russians About Sanctions Before Trump Took Office

8. Washington Post, March 2 2017 The Daily 202: Trump’s Russia headache gets worse, as Sessions struggles to spin undisclosed meetings
“ U.S. Investigators have examined contacts Attorney General Sessions had with Russian Officials during the time he was advising Donald Trump’s Campaign. The focus of the U.S. Counter Intelligence Investigation has been on communications between Trump Campaign Officials and Russia. … The inquiry involving Sessions is examining it’s contents while serving as Trump’s Foreign Policy Advisor in the spring and summer of 2016. “


9. The Wall Street Journal, March 2 2017 Investigators Probed Jeff Sessions’ Contacts With Russian Officials
“U.S. investigators have examined contacts Attorney General Jeff Sessions had with Russian officials during the time he was advising Donald Trump’s presidential campaign. ”

Any wonder WHY they want to "Change the Subject" ???