Dan Rather: "Think about this headline..."

[Miles Archer]

Dan Rather
?
Verified account

@DanRather

Think about this headline: "Trump claims he can defy Constitution and end birthright citizenship" - VP Pence echoes, says Supreme Court may back Trump. Objective Analysis: this is moving from outrageously absurd to truly dangerous. A president says he can defy the constitution!

11:15 AM - 30 Oct 2018

Link to tweet

[shraby]

1. It boggles the mind, doesn't it?

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

2. It's all Kabuki theatre for the purpose of stirring up his cult members

just before the elections. They'll think he's already done it so voila, as of now there will be no more anchor babies! Tiny's chief suckup and obvious AG candidate Lindsey Graham says he'll introduce a bill to the same effect as the EO, which - if he does it - will be challenged in court as soon as a plaintiff is available to claim standing. All of this will take many months before there is a resolution. But that's not the point. The point is to make the brain-dead MAGAts believe right now that Trump is doing something right now to prevent the unwashed hordes of brown people from polluting the pure blood lines of real - that is, white - Americans.

[Miles Archer]

4. Yep...that and the "10% tax cut for the middle class."

I saw a clip from one of his recent rallies where one of his "tells"...slowly spoken mock sincerity...came into play. He mentioned the fictitious "tax cut" and then, in reference to the working class, said "They really deserve it."

WRONG...they really "deserved" the first cut, not the 1%ers, and not on the back of Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security.

You're right...it's all theater.

[Garrett78]

13. Agreed. It's all about Cult45. I'm not sure Graham's bill would pass.

[lark]

3. Anyone who has eyes and a brain and has the ability to make comparison could see this coming..

He is following PUtin's orders and Hitlers' footsteps, our constitution was never safe with him as president. He started complaining about it and wanting to change it (ignore it) from the beginning. Now he's actually threatening to do this because he knows that 4 of the SCOTUS justices are Russian Repugs first and will follow his lead no matter how heinous. The fate of our nation hangs on oligarch loving Roberts, will he put party ahead of the constitution and his partys' pretend president. WEll, OK that and taking back at least the house.

[2naSalit]

5. +1

[iluvtennis]

29. +10

[BillyBobBrilliant]

6. And his latest

Supreme Court Appointee wrote that he would support the president defying a law he didn't like. Think about that!

[Nitram]

7. "A president says he can defy the constitution!"

And that the Supreme Court will back him up!

[Moostache]

8. And if that happens...a tainted SCOTUS backing a fascist POTUS...

Then there is no more consent of the governed and the government under Trump becomes illegitimate and must be removed from power by any and all means necessary...

[Nitram]

9. That would be an attempted coup of the government, and I hope the nation would respond

appropriately. To the ramparts!

[The Liberal Lion]

15. The coup already happened don't you realize?

It happened on 11/08/2016. They are only flexing their muscles now. When the dems win the house, but fail to win the senate the best they can hope for is just to stall and slow this madman's agenda. Without the senate they can only impeach, but can not remove. As you see pubs will tolerate ANYTHING from this man and will do nothing to remove this cancer from the white house. We are in a world of shit, period.

[Nitram]

17. No, I don't buy that defeatist crazy talk, and see no evidence that it is true.

If it were, Mueller would be in jail along with every journalist and Democrat.

[The Liberal Lion]

20. Riddle me this

What good will Mueller's report be (assuming it finds in the way you and I both assume it will) if dems do not control the Senate and the courts are thoroughly compromised? The courts are compromised? You say that's insane? Nay, I disagree, first you have Kavanagh and then you have that little bit of capitulation by Schumer who allowed McConnell to install a veritable shitload of trump lackey judges. I'm crazy and defeatist? Maybe, but make sure you really look at the facts on the ground before you come to that definitive conclusion.

[Nitram]

21. I would just say you're getting ahead of yourself. Yes, some serious challenges to our democracy

have been put in place. There is no sign yet that our system cannot overcome them at the ballot box. I think your rumors regarding the demise of our democracy are premature at this point.

[The Liberal Lion]

22. fair enough

[pangaia]

24. Nothing defeatist or crazy -- or 'debbie downer,' as someone here

accused me of being -- about it at all. It is looking reality in the face.

[niyad]

42. "Do You Hear the People Sing?"

Do You Hear the People Sing?
David Burt, Les Misérables - Original London Cast
Do you hear the people sing?
Singing the songs of angry men?
It is the music of the people
Who will not be slaves again!
When the beating of your heart
Echoes the beating of the drums
There is a life about to start
When tomorrow comes!
Will you join in our crusade?
Who will be strong and stand with me?
Somewhere beyond the barricade
Is there a world you long to see?
Then join in the fight
That will give you the right to be free!
Do you hear the people sing?
Singing the songs of angry men?
It is the music of the people
Who will not be slaves again!
When the beating of your heart
Echoes the beating of the drums
There is a life about to start
When tomorrow comes!
Will you give all you can give
So that our banner may advance
Some will fall and some will live
Will you stand up and take your chance?
The blood of the martyrs
Will water the meadows of France!
Do you hear the people sing?
Singing the songs of angry men?
It is the music of the people
Who will not be slaves again!
When the beating of your heart
Echoes the beating of the drums
There is a life about to start
When tomorrow comes

[defacto7]

14. This would be the fact and the only solution.

[elmac]

10. tRumps hero and genocidal maniac Andrew Jackson defied the constitution

and the supreme court but tRump has the court firmly under his control so it will be a cakewalk for him.

[malchickiwick]

11. His hero Andrew Jackson essentially did the same thing re Indian Removal

So neither unprecedented nor surprising.

[spanone]

12. why stop there don, just declare yourself a fucking king

[The Liberal Lion]

16. Don't worry, that's coming too.

But I'm sure it will be something snazzier than mere "king". I'm joking, but really I'm not.

[spanone]

27. I'm with you.

Grrrrr

[FakeNoose]

18. Maybe he said it but nobody believes he could or would do it

Cheeto is just flapping his gums again, or maybe it's his tiny orange fingers, I don't know.

[allgood33]

19. Pence needs to go down along with Trump.

As soon as we get a Democratic Speaker this should be a done deal. The Speaker is next in line.

[DownriverDem]

25. Here's

hoping it is Pelosi. She gets things done. She keeps the Dems on board when it comes to votes. She raises a ton of money for the Dems. We need her.

[DownriverDem]

23. Why

do I get the feeling that trump with the help of the SC will do it?

[Purrfessor]

26. I posted this on FB this morning regarding the slippery slope this could present...

President Donald J. Trump now claims he can and will override the U.S. Constitution with an Executive Order and strip birthrights from children born in the U.S. to undocumented immigrant parents. This notion presents a serious threat to our democratic republic form of government and to the very foundation on which the United States of America now stands.

The 14th Amendment is not ambiguous:

“All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.”

Such an Executive Order would also overturn the “1898 Supreme Court decision in United States v. Wong Kim Ark, 169 U.S. 649, which ruled that a child born in the United States to non-citizen parents was a United States citizen under the Fourteenth Amendment.”

Should the courts back Trump and rule that a President can override the Constitution with an Executive Order because he or she unilaterally claims the wording of an Amendment, or Amendments is not what the Framers intended, then no Amendment is safe.

The Second Amendment is the most obvious example of how granting a President such authority might play out. To confiscate firearms from the public domain a President need only sign an Executive Order stating that the Framers’ intent was that firearms were legal only to members of state militias and not the public in general. It is doubtful that would go over well with Congressional Republicans who take their marching orders from the NRA and the many gun owners who place the possession firearms above all else.

The First Amendment would also be at risk:

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

A President could claim that the religious clause protects the actions of members of some, or all religious institutions, and that they are not bound by state or federal law and can operate freely within the laws of each particular religious organization without fear of government persecution. Say hello to the law most feared and condemned by Christians: Sharia law.

A President could likewise claim that any speech critical of government and its officials was damaging to the public’s confidence in its government, this includes not only citizens but members of the press or any organization which calls into question government actions, and therefore any such speech is considered a national security threat and is not covered by the First Amendment.

A President could also redefine the right to peaceably assemble as pertaining only to small groups of less than 25 people, as larger groups pose the threat of violent outbursts that open the possibility of injury and/or death to non-protesting members of the community. Again, a national security claim.

As for redress, using the power of Executive Order a President could eliminate the right of appeal within the court system on decisions rendered by the courts that expand Executive authority, thus elevating the Executive branch above the Legislative and Judicial branches. At this point the United States of America and its citizens could very easily fall under the control of a dictatorship.

The First and Second Amendments are only two examples of how the Constitution could be radically altered by a single individual. All other Amendments could and many most likely would face the same uncertainty.

Anyone who supports Trump in his drive to override the Constitution via Executive Order on the citizenship issue effectively cedes the right to complain or gather in protest should any additional Constitutional Amendments be open to change based on the whims of a President, whether that President is the person you voted for or not. You must ask yourself the question: Is this a risk I am willing to take? If not, it is time to speak out and oppose this President’s drive to wrest as much power as he can from the people and from anyone, representative, organization or co-equal branches of government and place that power under his control. Take heed, under this President the door is slowly closing on our ability to self govern.

[Haggis for Breakfast]

32. And if no amendment is safe

Then the entire Constitution is in jeopardy.

VOTE VOTE VOTE VOTE VOTE VOTE VOTE VOTE VOTE VOTE VOTE VOTE

[KY_EnviroGuy]

38. K&R. Some frightening scenarios.

That phrase "A President could claim" is starting to sound like the declarations of a dictator or king.......

The real frightening thing here is that so many Republicans would be perfectly OK with that......

[Hawk5]

28. Sure wish Rather, Olbermann & John Stewart were still active, now more than ever.

[LastLiberal in PalmSprings]

30. Now that he's got five rubber stamp votes on the SCOTUS

he's not wrong in believing he can do whatever the hell he wants.

God help us if the Repugs maintain control of both houses of Congress!

Or even one -- if Donnie Two Scoops gets away with changing the Constitution on this issue, he may start to wonder why he needs Congress anyway...

[czarjak]

31. How 'bout that Electoral College victory?

[MrQRO]

33. Guffaw!

Why do any of us even pay any attention to this desperate fascist buffoon!
Next he'll say he can turn water to wine, and walk on water...
35% of the morons will buy it.. Just cuz...
And, he'll get media attention for saying it!

When is everyone going to learn to ignore the orangutan flinging poo!?!?

Sheesh!

[MrQRO]

40. Shure Nuff!

This morning the "serious people" on the MSM, are actually debating this foolishness!
The orangutan got what he wanted!
People are now talking about his utter horse shite, as if it was a "thing"... and not real issues!
Bravo, Mr. Orangutan! You played them well!

The "mooch" was on real time last Friday and tried to tell people as much, but no one would listen.

Since this worked, tomorrow he'll claim he's going to close down all news outlets except for Fox, since
they're all "fake"... and see what kind of distraction that will cause! (He has no power to do that either!)

Everyone should just uniformly say... "Our President is a lying buffoon, please ignore him and vote"!
Up next real news that affects people and not moronic propaganda!

[Honeycombe8]

34. When you have the S.Ct. in your pocket.....who's to say what he can or can't do? nt

[TwistOneUp]

35. He swore an oath

To protect the Constitution, not override it.

[Rhiannon12866]

36. My immediate thought, too.

I think of that often.

[Boomerproud]

37. I miss Dan Rather every day.

Happy 87th birthday sir

[kentuck]

39. It's a very sly way to get the media "back on track" and talking about the "caravan"...

The 3M. (Master Media Manipulator)

[duforsure]

41. Didn't trump run a scheme at a Florida property of his for

Doing exactly that , but for wealthy Russians to come to, and have their babies from?