This is so simple and apparent that posting about it is almost insulting, BUT---

[Atticus]

The 25th Amendment to the Constitution IS A PART OF THE CONSTITUTION! Employing it or discussing its use is, by definition, "constitutional".

And, while we're discussing "milk and cookies law", IF Rosenstein and McCabe WERE discussing enforcing the law, THAT'S WHAT "LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS" ARE PAID TO DO!

Those currently making public accusations contrary to the above---i.e., Lindsey "Hissyfit" Graham--- are pusillanimous curmudgeons attempting to cover their own asses.

[walkingman]

1. I'll admit I had to look up "pusillanimous" - Thank You. Now how to pronounce!!!

[lastlib]

4. ("pew-sil-LAN-ih-mus")

Welcome to DU! --

[Stonepounder]

23. Back in the 50's. Cartoon. Who was it kept calling someone

a pusillanimous polecat?

[Shrike47]

26. Sounds like Pogo.

[pecosbob]

27. May have been Foghorn Leghorn

but that may have been in the sixties.

[Stonepounder]

40. I think you got it. Was probably late 50's, early 60's

when us kids always got up early on Saturday morning to watch the cartoons on TV.

[lastlib]

30. IDK, but in the 60s....

On "Lost In Space", Dr. Smith often called the robot a "pusllanimous pipsqueak". (that was where I learned the word.--in third grade?)

[Grasswire2]

35. "A term used by George "Gramps" Miller, played by George Cleveland, ..."

in the Lassie show.

That's what I found on google.

[crazytown]

44. Dr Smith in Lost in Space "Pusillanimous Pipsqueek"

A insult for the “Bubble Headed Booby” - The Robot

[DoctorJoJo]

7. That's Why We Use "Pussy" Instead--Short, Easy, Everyone Knows It!

[onetexan]

22. i learned a new word today as well. i imagine same for most others here.

The word is quite fitting for these spineless enablers of the Idiot.

[JayhawkSD]

2. Except that Rosenstein and McCabe were not members of the Cabinet.

They were officers in the FBI, and discussion of removal of the President under the color of Cabinet privilege was vastly beyond their authority. The 25th amendment describes a process and a power which is reserved to the Cabinet.

The FBI does not "enforce the law." It conducts investigations. The role is spelled out in its name. The FBI does not open investigations. The Attorney General opens an investigation, the FBI conducts that investigation and reports the results of the investigation to the Attorney General's office, and the AG's office decides if and how to prosecute the case. It is the AG's office, not the FBI, who decides if charges will be filed, and if so what those charges will be.

Here again, I am not a Trump supporter, or a Republican supporter, or a right wing MAGA nut job. I am just a believer in logic and reason, and I do not jump on the "anything is okay as long as it destroys Trump" bandwagon.

[harumph]

6. I was merely hypothetical what ifs. They weren't "planning."

They took no measures.
I'm not on the "anything is okay as long as it destroys Trump" bandwagon either -
for the simple reason there will always be another "Trump" - the next one may know how to
hold his salad fork and restrain from rage tweeting - but there will be another one
and another one until our electorate grows up.

[PatSeg]

8. Good point

We naively thought that George W. Bush was the worst we could get, but I remember the clown show during the republican primaries in 2008 and 2012. It seemed that every other goof ball in the country thought running for office as a republican was a great opportunity, but no one actually thought any of them would end up in the White House. Most were either auditioning for a radio or TV show or they were selling crappy books and videos.

So right now, there undoubtedly are a lot of snake oil salesmen out there looking to future elections. Some Harold Hills or Larry "Lonesome" Rhodes who are thinking, "Damn, I could do that!" Unfortunately, there is no shortage of suckers for them to dazzle. Even if none of them makes it to the White House, many will get elected to local and state office, as well as the U.S. House and Senate. Many already have and have caused great damage.

[Kablooie]

17. In Trump World, even thinking bad thoughts about him is a crime.

His is truly a 1984 world

[warmfeet]

50. I hope he doesn't put me in the cornfield.

The thoughts I have been thinking, would put me there millions of times over.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

28. They couldn't do it themselves but they certainly could discuss it.

It was well within their purview to consider the ramifications of such a drastic move and its effects on their work. The FBI director, as the head of a division of the DoJ, reports to a cabinet officer. There was nothing illegal about Rosenstein and McCabe (who are also lawyers) discussing the what-ifs of the 25th Amendment, which would obviously have a huge effect on everything they were doing if it happened, even if they weren't in a position to implement it. That's all they were doing.

[onenote]

37. That doesn't make it illegal to speculate about the invocation of the 25th amendment

by those empowered to invoke it

[Mr.Bill]

41. I hope so

because we're doing it right now.

[California_Republic]

3. Exactly, not a coup but a process

Just as losing a reelect is not a coup

[shanny]

5. Annnnnnd it didn't happen

so there's that.

[forgotmylogin]

9. Monopolizing property and driving people bankrupt is TREASONOUS!

"Also, the GO DIRECTLY TO JAIL, DO NOT PASS GO card is against the rules of Monopoly!" - Young McDonald Trump, probably

[Perseus]

10. Lindsey "Hissyfit" Graham is just very scared

His turnaround from the correct thinking about the orange buffoon to ass-liker is very telling, he is afraid that he to will go to jail.

[DemoTex]

16. 'Zactly. Follow the money.

Russian money.

[pangaia]

21. I would not be surprised if it is something much worse than jail...

[Grasswire2]

36. He doesn't see that he COULD be a national hero if he would flip on Trump.

That is mind boggling to me.

Any Republican in leadership is betting on the supremacy of Trump and Putin. That's a greater existential danger for them than risk exposing the kompromat they are under and turning patriot in defense of the Constitution.

They would rather take the country down than be exposed for whatever it is?

Rather be termed a traitor than be exposed for whatever it is that Russia is holding on them?

Don't they see that their only hope lies in flipping on Trump?

That TRULY is their only hope for redemption.

UNLESS the alternative is polonium or worse.

[SCVDem]

11. Pusillanimous

Usually followed by pipsqueak.

Dr. Smith would refer to the Robot with the term on "Lost In Space".

[malaise]

13. Most excellent

Rec

[ooky]

14. Of course it is. And when a President acts like Trump, it is their constitutional duty

to discuss it.

[calimary]

15. Well, Lindsey Graham is just doing what his owner wants him to do

A Ukrainian billionaire bought him for 800-thousand dollars. Len Blavatnik. Friend of Oleg Deripaska - a pal of Putin. Mitch McConnell cost a LOT more: 3.5 million. Dallas Morning News has this in late 2017, but the report went precisely nowhere.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100211657130

[Honeycombe8]

18. True. It is their DUTY to at least discuss it, if they think it's applicable.

If anyone thinks that Republicans didn't discuss this regarding Obama, they're living in La-La-Land. I doubt Obama's DOJ discussed it, because there was no reason to. He was an excellent President who had all his brain cells, unlike Trump.

[empedocles]

29. Significant point. It would be at least negligent, not to raise the issue.

Given the very problematic, extent of the evidence - it should have been very extensively studied.

[pangaia]

19. Lindsey may be a pusillanimous curmudgeon..........

But more importantly, Lindsey Graham is a coward and a traitor.

[BSdetect]

20. Some maybe shocked when the all the traitors are fully exposed.

[lastlib]

31. I won't be; if (name is followed by an "R-") Traitor. Simple logic.

[TrogL]

52. Please stop giving us true curmudgeons a bad name

[duforsure]

24. All trump is concerned about is loyalty to him, and only him,

Anything else is a threat to expose him for what he is , a treasonous , corrupt lying fraud. Anyone not promoting his propaganda, and criminal acts are simply attacked with whatever he wants to falsely, and use to oust them for someone who is more corrupt, and willing to give him absolute loyalty no matter what he does , or asks them to do. This is what criminals do.

[Mr. Ected]

25. The man who ran as a businessman and not a politician

The man whose base delights in the fact that he is some sort of capitalist hero and not a politician....

...HIDES behind the fact that he is a politician to avoid criminal scrutiny. He's not a target in his mind....he's the victim of a political witch hunt. And his television audience eats it up.

In truth, he was a criminal long before he ran for office, and has remained a criminal throughout. His newfound insulation shouldn't protect him against being fingered for the treason he has perpetrated and continues to perpetrate.

[murielm99]

32. Spiro Agnew....

"pusillanimous pussyfooting" on the issue of law and order.

He loved alliteration.

"nattering nabobs of negativism." That one was about the press.

[japple]

51. Thanks for this, murielm99. I well remember ole' Spiro and his alliterations.

Great walk down memory lane...

[BN1914]

33. Amen. Co-signed. Recommended. Times 10000!

[lunatica]

34. Never underestimate the power of saying the obvious.

Thanks!

[madville]

38. Powers in the Constitution could potentially be abused

The President has the power to pardon anyone for any federal crime and it would be "Constitutional" of course by that logic. It could also be abused in some instances.

Just like the Electoral College is a "Constitutional" system for electing Presidents, because its defined in the Constitution. Many will rightfully argue its not a fair system but it is "Constitutional".

I don't think them discussing it in this case was criminal or treasonous by the way and am not defending the likes of Graham. My point is that just because something is in the Constitution that doesn't mean there isn't a potential for the defined process to be abused.

[Atticus]

39. I don't disagree with anything in your post. If my post gave the impression

that I would, thanks for the opportunity to be clearer.

[SMoss]

42. Common conversation

Anyone with half a brain and some knowledge of the Constitution has discussed the 25th Amendment. Why is that an issue?

[Claritie Pixie]

43. Yes. Rosenstein and McCabe have a sworn duty to protect the constitution - NOT a person - NOT Trump.

They are being attacked and undergoing character assassination because they haven’t kissed the feet of a law-breaking man who is bent on destroying the constitution. They are being attacked for not breaking their oath.

This is the state of things.

[saidsimplesimon]

45. Claritie, "the state of things"

because they haven’t kissed the feet of a law-breaking man who is bent on destroying the constitution. They are being attacked for not breaking their oath.

So true, thank you, Claritie

[Stuart G]

46. I checked the U.S. Constituion and found this: Ammendment 1..

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.

It is very simple, and very clear ..."no law" is .."NO LAW" ..And , "abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press " is also simple.. So if I want to talk about the ...Constitution and I do not threaten anyone..(one exception) and I do not yell, "fire" in the middle of the discussion in a very crowded place..(another exception) then, I can discuss the U.S. Constitution legally and without worry...This is according to..."The U.S. Constitution...

And I have also read that the courts have upheld this right throughout our history. Very few exceptions. I do suspect that you can discuss the U.S. Constitution legally and without worry.

[Stuart G]

47. OH...NO..not another clause..Something about "supreme law of the land"

Take a look at this one..ARTICLE VI......:

"This Constitution, and the Laws of the United States which shall be made in Pursuance thereof; and all Treaties made, or which shall be made, under the Authority of the United States, shall be the supreme Law of the Land; and the Judges in every State shall be bound thereby, any Thing in the Constitution or Laws of any State to the Contrary notwithstanding. "

Supreme Law, is the ...top, very top law. So if Humpty Dumpty (Donald Trump) thinks he can pass a law it had better not go against the ..U.S.Constitution. Humpty Dumpty Trump, will fall off of the wall, when?...
......I know nothing..............but they will not be able to put him back together again.....

...................thank you.......................

[corbettkroehler]

49. Yes, Simple And Apparent But Still A Pleasure To Read. Kudos! (n/t)

[The Wizard]

53. Will Lindsey Graham

be Trump's Brutus?