This is fucked. The police say they're just "escorting" the senators to the vote. In effect, they're

[demmiblue]

"It would be a pretty dramatic expansion of how this was used in the past," says GOP senator Ron Johnson of Trump declaring a state of emergency.

Marco Rubio: "It's a bad idea."

Republicans seem very caught off guard by this.

There are police here on the hill circling politicians when they come in for the vote, keeping reporters away from them. This is not normal.

An officer smashed right into NBC's Lee-Anne Caldwell who was walking with a senator. Another reporter, who is pregnant, says she was also shoved. Lots of yelling between reporters and cops here, who are clearly blocking reporters from getting near senators.

This is fucked. The police say they're just "escorting" the senators to the vote. In effect, they're shielding them from taking questions. Never seen this before.

Link to tweet

[bearsfootball516]

1. Nate Silver tweeted that it would be overwhelmingly unpopular like we've never seen before.

Not even his entire base supports it because they know it sets a precedent that future Democratic presidents can use for global warming, gun control, etc.

[demmiblue]

3. I saw his tweet.

What a clusterfuck.

[Honeycombe8]

32. All of Trump's Executive Orders have been overwhelmingly unpopular.

When has that stopped anything?

[quakerboy]

45. Im sure the scotus will be happy to specify

In their 5-4 approval, that the precedent ONLY applies to made up crises, not to anything verifiable, factual, or evidence based.

[bearsfootball516]

46. I don't think Roberts wil vote yes

[olegramps]

54. I believe that the Republicans will stand up for the Constitution when I see it.

If I was a betting man, I would lay odds they will toe the line and allow Trump to destroy the Constitution before they stand up to him. Gump Chin McConnell will lead the way and they will follow like a pack of sheep. I sure hope that I am wrong, but I really don't know how many Democrats will put up a good fight either. If this is allowed to stand then the Republicans' dream of an Authoritarian Presidency is within their grasp. Kiss the democratic democracy that the forefathers boldly created goodbye. Will the Supreme Court uphold the Constitution or will it be another ruling like their appointment of Bush to the Presidency? Will the Democrats put the tail between the legs and slid down deeply into their seats to avoid taking a forceful stand. We will see.

[NBachers]

2. The putsch is on.

[Nitram]

25. No, the putsch is not on. Trump is making another stupid mistake. This gives him no additional

authority or power. He has lost the support of the military, the intelligence services, and many in his own party. He is on his way out.

[ripcord]

31. That is not exactly true

33 U.S. Code § 2293, says: "Reprogramming during national emergencies," permits the president to "apply the resources of the Department of the Army’s civil works program, including funds, personnel, and equipment, to construct or assist in the construction, operation, maintenance, and repair of authorized civil works, military construction, and civil defense projects that are essential to the national defense."

[Honeycombe8]

35. If there were an emergency. Which there is not. Think civil rights era...

when blacks were being forcibly kept from attending school and voting, were being beaten, some were being murdered. A national emergency.

I don't know if JFK used that to send the Nat'l Guard down there, or if he had that authority anyway. But that might be an instance of national emergency...when our citizens are in the midst of violence directed at them. That's not the case with the border, where illegal immigration is at its lowest since 1971, and the drugs come in mainly through the ports of entry...not over the border.

[ripcord]

37. This isn't going to be as easy as people think it will be

The wall has already been approved but not funded and really all Trump has to do is convince the court that 350,000 people crossing the border in violation of the law each year is excessive. It is obvious Trump is using this as a political tool but he might be able to get away with it.

[Honeycombe8]

38. First you have to prove 350k have crossed the border recently.

Then you have to show some emergency danger to the citizens.

They will argue that, of course. But they have to prove it. Courts rely on facts and proof. The other side will show the lack of emergency last year, and the year before, and the year before...that the situation did not harm the country to the extent that it is suddenly now a national emergency. And the opposition may have proof of fewer numbers crossing the border illegally.

A barrier is in the funding bill just passed..barrier or fencing. They would also have to prove that "barrier" or "fence" means "wall," like Trump means it, which is a 30 foot tall concrete structure.

[Honeycombe8]

40. And remember, even if he proves 350k crossed border illegally, yu have to subtract those who left.

We don't just have people coming in illegally, we also have illegal immigrants leaving for various reasons. And then we deport many.

I doubt the SCt would find that 150,000 coming in during the past year constitutes a national emergency.

I doubt 350k came in over the border illegally in the first place, frankly. Trumpers (uneducated and uninformed) don't realize that asylum seekers come in through the ports of entry. They are here, they are brown, and they don't speak English, so to Trumpers they must be illegal. But they aren't.

Most illegal immigrants here are Visa and Green Card holders who have overstayed. They didn't come in over the southern border, and came in legally.

[Volaris]

44. This isn't 'essential' to anything except Trump's small penis.

[LiberalFighter]

49. According to report last nite... legislation specifies

building a wall cannot be performed in specific areas.

[Paladin]

4. The wheels are really coming off. It was bound to happen. (nt)

[jodymarie aimee]

5. never seen it before?

ironic since Johnson hails from my state....this is Scott Walker's playbook...

[demmiblue]

6. More info:

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

[blaze]

7. Thank you. nt

[Still In Wisconsin]

17. This is absolutely from the Scott Walker playbook.

Just substitute Walker for Trump and, say, Robin Vos or Fitzgerald for McTurtle and this whole scene could be going down in Madison. Well, could have been before last January.

Really reminds me of the whole 2010/ Act 10 vibe. Has the same kind of eerie feel to it. Like the place we knew just doesn't exist anymore. Dang, I need a beer and a brat, STAT!

[CaptYossarian]

23. Remember when a protester hugged Glenn Grothmann and he almost fainted?

He probably peed himself on his way back to his mommy's basement.

[Still In Wisconsin]

53. I remember a lot from back then. I went to Madison to support my kids' teachers in the protests.

It was intense. I still don't know what the best course of action would have been. However, I think the recall (which I supported and signed) backfired on us. Running Barrett (a good man and personal friend of my rabbi) again just killed us. Every time I hear someone say "Let's run Hillary again" I think of that. I love both Tom Barrett and Hillary Clinton but we needed someone new then, as we do now.

[Eliot Rosewater]

26. Scott loves him some divide and conquer

An unusually vile pile of human garbage.

[ewagner]

18. kick

[AdamGG]

8. What branch of police is this?

DC police, Secret Service? What right do they have to deny journalists access to Senators?

[Action_Patrol]

9. Capitol Police

They are the secret service for the legislative branch

[bdamomma]

10. Now they are silencing

the reporters and journalists, this is very Putinesque.

[triron]

12. I wonder why? Bottom line, Putin is behind it.

[sheshe2]

27. Well what else would you expect.

Now they are silencing

the reporters and journalists, this is very Putinesque.

Putin is our Commander in Chief. The Repukes Elected/Selected him.

[world wide wally]

11. Is this the beginning of the end?

Civil war on the horizon?

[triron]

13. I'm afraid too many of are too comfortable.

We are sheeple. Maybe we will wake up.

[bdamomma]

14. this is Shock Doctrine

in real time, now is the time to mobilize. Or will they keep taking?? What's next Social Security???? Medicare, no health care. Poison the air and water.

[world wide wally]

19. Trump would go for any of them

[bdamomma]

15. I think we are

awake here on this site, that 37% to 40% of the population are totally ignorant.

Just my opinion.

[bearsfootball516]

51. There is not going to be another civil war.

[sarcasmo]

16. Dictator Don has arrived.

[Evolve Dammit]

20. My thought exactly

[lindysalsagal]

21. The GOP owns ALL of this crap. ALL OF IT!

[bronxiteforever]

22. Now that they have DOJ under control

The Trump Repukes will use the imperial presidency to steal our rights. Just an incredible day in the history of this Country.

[northoftheborder]

24. Which vote is going on now? The vote to fund the gov.?

[grantcart]

28. Who are you quoting?

[CentralMass]

29. Shame on this sham of an ogliarchy fhat passes for our government

[woodsprite]

30. So, a Valentine's Day Massacre of Democracy. nt

[bdamomma]

33. Yup

they got thru to the heart. Putin must be ecstatic.

[Ferrets are Cool]

34. When do we "DECLARE" this a POLICE STATE?

SMH

[riversedge]

36. Whow. Who ordered this escort by POLICE??

[Initech]

39. This is a coup, plain and simple.

And the crooks in charge are getting away with it!

[jmbar2]

41. Find out which companies are involved, and push hard for divestment...

Likely the companies will be linked to Trump or the Russians. All hands on deck! Start your research.

[Duppers]

42. K & R & R & R

Breaking 1st Amendment access?

[orangecrush]

43. What can be done by Democrats

To stop this bullshit from happening again?

[raccoon]

47. Are the quotes at the top all tweets from Twitter? nt

[demmiblue]

48. Yes. They are all from the person who's tweet I posted.

I thought it would be easier to read than posting each of his tweets.

I should have made it clear that it was a tweet thread. My bad!

[lark]

50. ONG, is PUtin having drumpf provoke a constitutional crisis on purpose?

Or does he just hate America and our system so much he's causing all this damage from his own shriveled, demented, drugged out pretense of a tiny little orange brain.

[spanone]

52. K&R...