Posted on 06/25/2021 9:27:52 AM PDT by ChicagoConservative27
Former Vice President Mike Pence on Thursday addressed his GOP critics who believe he could have moved to decertify the election results on January 6, stating there is “almost no idea more un-American than the notion that any one person could choose the American President.”
Speaking at the Reagan Library in Southern California as part of “The Time For Choosing” series, Pence laid out a vision for the future of the Republican Party, which he said must be devoted to the Constitution of the United States.
(Excerpt) Read more at breitbart.com ...
“Who decides if it is a contested state?”
State legislatures.
Who decides that? What if there are multiple, competing Certificates? What if the Certificates are obviously fraudulent? There are lots of possibilities, and the Framers wanted a Constitutional officer with power and authority to oversee this matter.
You didn't suggest any reason why the Framers assigned the task of opening Certificates to the President of the Senate. The fact that he presides over the Senate does not mean that he has to be the one to open the Certificates.
Consider that this is the Constitution. It is not a statute book or a code of regulations. In a Constitution only matters of large importance are dealt with. Details are left to statutes and court rulings, etc. Given this, why did the Framers think that opening Certificates was so important that they had to write in the Constitution that only the President of the Senate is allowed to do it? The answer is that, mindful of the gross frauds and skullduggery that occurred under British colonial government, they wanted a check, a safeguard that things were on the up and up. It's one of the many "checks and balances" in the Constitution. With Pence's misfeasance, we did not get this.
As for writing that excludes this power, the 10th Amendment covers it well. Any power not specifically granted is non-existent.
The Tenth Amendment is irrelevant to this question. The Tenth Amendment governs the division of power between the Federal Government on the one hand, and the States and the People on the other. It says nothing about the power of the President of the Senate within the Senate.
However, if you do have a cite to, again, some passage from the Debates on the Constitution, or the Federalist Papers, or the Anti-Federalist Papers, for the proposition that the opening of the Certificates is a mere ministerial task, I would be interested to learn of it.
“Who decides that? What if there are multiple, competing Certificates? What if the Certificates are obviously fraudulent? “
Congress is the decider in all of the above.
“There are lots of possibilities, and the Framers wanted a Constitutional officer with power and authority to oversee this matter.”
Again, it is congress that is the constitutional authority.
And they failed.
After that, there is no recourse other than impeachment. And we already know who the authority is there.
Some individual legislators did so, and some individuals sent alternate electors.
But no state legislature voted to do a damn thing.
Pence could have . . . and he “did the right thing” because he didn’t.
With all due respect, if you want to get up to spee, I think you need to watch War Room...They certainly are doing a thing NOW
Mike, go home and stay there.
“Pence could have”
The VP has NO constitutional powers to do anything other than “preside” over the Senate...or a joint session formed to consider electors.
However, the power everyone here is accusing Pence of not exercising is fully vested in POTUS on the criminal front, and Congress on the electoral front.
With both Trump and Congress...ALONG with state legislatures unwilling to exercise their constitutional powers...why would Pence assume and assert imaginary powers?
It’s a prima facie bullsh!t story.
I am up to speed.
Wasn’t Pence responsible for some of what happened to General Flynn?
Also seems to me I eard that he or his staff were supportive of Cohen? No source...Just a recollection...
Really?
Well good for you.
None of them did so prior to January 6th.
The Constitution gives the Vice President one job. All other procedures for opening and counting the votes are found in federal laws passed by Congress and specifying the process for disputing votes. In those, the Vice President still has no power to refuse certificates but Congress does. And in two cases they did challenge certificates and in both cases the challenge was voted down.
This is where you claim there was no evidence of "widespread fraud".
Evidence is in the eye of the beholder. What you and I may view as solid evidence of fraud can be disputed by others. And the Vice President has no power to decide who is right and who is wrong. Only a court can.
I know you're not exactly a Trump supporter but you should be careful what you wish for.
What am I wishing for?
The VP has NO constitutional powers to do anything other than “preside” over the Senate...or a joint session formed to consider electors.So if he chooses not to, then what? Arrest him?
Presiding over the Senate or a "joint session formed to consider electors" may not sound powerful to you. But I think it's a lot of power GIVEN TO HIM by US and with it comes an obligation to US, not the electors.
We can thank Mike Pence and the establishment RINO legislatures for the mess our country is in now...
I will never pull the lever for Pence...He is a traitor in my book...will you?
Again, I suggest you start watching War Room.
“I will never pull the lever for Pence...He is a traitor in my book...will you?”
I think he’s unfit for any office.
I thought that when Trump named him.
He’s a charlatan with a bible.
Then don’t defend him.
Constitutional scholars who know more than me state he was wrong.
I blame much of the current mess on HIM.
Again, watch War Room—the PM show is coming up in one hour.
I wasn’t defending him.
I was pacing blame where it belongs.
Republicans in Congress and state legislatures.
And still, he could have.
“None of them did so prior to January 6th.”
Really? Anymore bombshells?
But the electoral votes were disputed in those states, and the dissent would have been give legal standing if Pence had sent the vote back.
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