I have been repeatedly surprised by the conservative mind-set of many here.
It has been said that one of the core principles of conservatism is: "Nothing should ever be done for the first time". In other words, conservatives always prefer to play it safe. They want things done the way they have "always" been done even when dealing with totally unprecedented problems. Their fallback position is always "follow the rules", even when the issue being addressed was either totally unheard of when the "rule" was written or was just not considered by those who wrote the rules.
These folks argue simply that, " If it ain't in the Constitution, you can't do it. You've got to follow the rules!"
There is one rule that says a sitting president* cannot be indicted.
There is another rule, called the Statute of Limitations, that most federal crimes---like, say, obstruction of justice---must be filed within five years of commission or they are barred.
"By the rules", Trump could be re-elected by the electoral college despite again losing the popular vote.
So, when Trump finishes his second term and, by the rules, could be indicted, most everything he's done up till now and within the next 10 months or so will be barred by the 5 year Statute of Limitations. How does that unlikely but possible scenario strike you? No "rules" would be broken.
The Constitution says nothing about cell phones or fully automatic rifles or TV advertising, yet laws regulating them are not deemed unconstitutional. The U.S. Constitution has been interpreted or "construed" in new ways so as to accommodate new situations and technology and issues not dreamed of by the Foundng Fathers. I don't believe that the possibility of a traitorous criminal POTUS being shielded by a complicit partisan Senate was anything anyone dreamed might happen.
I do not say that we should ignore the law. I am simply suggesting that we USE the law in unprecedented ways to remedy unprecedented wrongs.
This is not the time to play it safe or say that we need a guarantee of success before we do battle. Let's be open to pursuing anything that can fit WITHIN our constitution even if it's "never been done before".
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