General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsHouse of Representatives versus Trump
Second, (the Senate Watergate Committee) fulfill the historic function of the Congress to oversee the administration of executive agencies of government and to inform the public of any wrongdoing or abuses it uncovers. The critical importance of this latter function cannot be over-emphasized.
Senate Watergate Report; page 40; 1974.
One of the most important of all things associated with the Democratic Party's overwhelming victories in the House of Representatives is found in the duty of Congress to inform the public of wrongdoing by the president. Clearly, under the leadership of Devin Nunes, the House committee tasked with investigating the Trump-Russia scandal failed to do this. In fact, Nunes led an effort, coordinated with the White House, to misinform the public.
The duty to inform the public will be important in 2019. As surely as the sun rises in the east, the same republicans that attempted to misinform the public about the Trump-Russian scandal will attempt to define the 2019 investigations as political. But the Democrats will be in a position to inform the public that the counter-intelligence investigation the FBI began in the spring of 2016 is all about national security.
Back in the Bush-Cheney era, I noted that the duty to inform the public was rooted in Constitutional Law. One person disagreed strongly with me, pointing out that this isn't defined in the Constitution. Although that is true, this duty is well-rooted in Constitutional Law which is, simply, how the Supreme Court has defined the Constitution's application in the context of their rulings. Indeed, virtually all USSC decisions excepting Bush v Gore are their interpretation of the Constitution.
Let's take a gander at two important USSC decisions on this very topic. We can start with the 1953 case, United States v Rumely. A congressional committee was tasked with investigating (1) all lobbying activities intended to influence, encourage, promote, or retard legislation; and (2) all activities of agencies of the Federal Government intended to influence, encourage, promote, or retard legislation.
Here may be the important part of the Court's decision, when it quoted from Woodrow Wilson's Congressional Government (page 303): 'It is the proper duty of a representative body to look diligently into every affair of government and to talk much about what it sees. It is meant to be the eyes and the voice, and to embody the wisdom and will of its constituents. Unless Congress have and use every means of acquainting itself with the acts and the disposition of the administrative agents of the government the country must be helpless to learn how it is being served; and unless Congress both scrutinize these things and sift them by every form of discussion, the country must remain in embarrassing, crippling ignorance of the very affairs which it is most important that it should understand and direct. That informing function of Congress should be preferred even to its legislative function.' Their decision called this informing function indispensable.
The second decision, from the 1957 case Watkins v United States, again addresses this important point: (There is a ) power of the Congress to inquire into and publicize corruption, maladministration, or inefficiency in agencies of the Government. That was the only kind of activity described by Woodrow Wilson in Congressional Government when he wrote: 'This informing function of Congress should be preferred even to its legislative function.' (Id., at 303) From the earliest times in its history, the Congress has assiduously performed an 'informing function' of this nature.
I think that this is important for everyone including our members of Congress and citizens to understand. I know that our party's leadership in the House knows this, and will act upon it. I'm doing my best to get this information to some of the newly elected House members, so that they can use it when dealing with the media. And I'd like to see those republicans who failed in their duty to inform the public about the Trump-Russian scandal to have their noses rubbed in it.
Peace,
H2O Man
Moostache
(9,895 posts)That is one serious scumbag and he is simply oozing with guilt from every pore...
I think that his family's business ties and perhaps the NRA donations to his campaign need to be closely examined, along with his attempts to derail the House investigation.
SWBTATTReg
(22,077 posts)at by multiple committees (like HRC had), and I'll bet ya they'll find quite a few interesting, illegal things.
H2O Man
(73,510 posts)That's why he was selected to serve on the Trump transition team. In my opinion, investigators would not need to dig deep to expose his criminal behavior.
kentuck
(111,052 posts)...with a veto-proof majority.
Then, the Democrats will have the tools and the means to clean up this disaster.
H2O Man
(73,510 posts)And we need the White House. That is necessary to really begin to repair the damage being done to our government.
coeur_de_lion
(3,676 posts)Individual 1 is even trying to govern?
Or is he just trying to inflict as much damage as possible?
H2O Man
(73,510 posts)have time to govern. That's why he backed down on his demands for funding for his wall.
The investigations are taking up his time and energy. Think of all the watching television, tweeting, asking others if he might be impeached, and late night conversations with Richard Nixon's portrait that are required!
coeur_de_lion
(3,676 posts)"Poor Bastard."
Then I realized he's made so much money from being pResident. And he's probably received millions from the Russians as well.
He isn't poor at all is he?
So my next reaction was "FUCKING Bastard."
I hope he never has a peaceful night's rest for what remains of his life.
Yes, yes. I feel good when I think of thst noose tightening. And the inevitable end of what silly people call a presidency.
H2O Man
(73,510 posts)that you raised. Trump is running up enormous legal fees, and it's worth remembering that his former legal team dropped him for two reasons: they weren't getting paid, and Trump was lying to them. Remember when Michelle Wolf was talking about Trump's finances at the correspondents dinner? He lives in luxury, and is certainly wealthy by most standards. But a lot of it is on paper. He isn't nearly as wealthy as he pretends. And pretty soon, his debts are coming home to roost.
Hermit-The-Prog
(33,258 posts)He has enormous debt. He had parked his big jet because he couldn't afford it, until campaigning brought in enough money to put it in the air again. Using his properties as Russian laundromats was not enough to pay his debts and maintain his 'lifestyle'. Does any target of a mob ever get ahead in payments?
How many gangs does he owe? Who yanks Dirty Donnie's strings to make him dance? Does Mueller already have the goods that tie Donnie to Putin, MBS and others, or will it be the House that digs such stuff out?
H2O Man
(73,510 posts)I think that the secretive hearing at the federal court was about some of Trump's financial dealings with the foreign bank of one of the countries that have financed him. It could be Jared, rather than Trump. But it almost certainly is one of those two.
It appears that Flynn was a major middleman for communications on finances -- including the promise to end the sanctions -- for Trump. Stone's team handled the stolen e-mail communications. Hopefully, there will be more indictments by the end of the month.
Hekate
(90,562 posts)H2O Man
(73,510 posts)I'm anticipating that 2019 will be one of the most historic years in our nation's history. And I have a feeling that there will be more good news in the last weeks of 2018.