This Obscure News Story, Which Should Be Huge, Shows How Trump Gets Away With Corruption
By Jonathan Chait
February 23, 2017
9:29 a.m.
One of the flaws in the design of the federal government is that, while the founders envisioned competing branches of government, unified party control of government can turn those branches into partners who do not check each others abuses. A second flaw is that Congress has a diffuse and often-confusing decision-making process that can make public accountability extremely difficult. Both problems come together in a new story that ought to be huge news but will instead be relegated to legislative arcana.
Here is the story. The House of Representatives has refused to investigate either one of the two massive ongoing legal and ethical violations involving the Trump administration: President Trumps opaque ties (financial and otherwise) to Russia, and his ongoing self-enrichment in office and violations of the Constitutions Emoluments Clause.
If the House wont investigate, what happens next? Well, the next-best course of action would be some form of public debate on the matter. This is not nearly as good as a real investigation, since the absence of subpoena power means Republicans can simply deny Trump has done anything wrong while blocking any efforts to acquire the evidence that would prove the case. But at least its something. Thats why House Democrats introduced a resolution of inquiry that would force House action on these issues.
Today, Politico reports the Houses response: It will divert the resolution to the House Judiciary Committee, which will (almost certainly) vote on Tuesday along party lines to kill the inquiry. It will be a minor story that probably receives scant or nonexistent coverage from television news, and then it will be quickly over. To be sure, coverage of Trumps scandals will surely continue. But coverage of the House role in permitting Trumps behavior will be extremely minimal.
more
http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2017/02/this-obscure-news-story-shows-how-trump-gets-away-with-it.html
niyad
(113,556 posts)Pacifist Patriot
(24,654 posts)annabanana
(52,791 posts)unblock
(52,319 posts)BadgerMom
(2,771 posts)Leith
(7,813 posts)With rethugs like Goodlatte, Darrell Issa, Louie Gohmert, Trey Gowdy, Jason Chaffetz, and Steve King (among others) on the committee, they will protect scrotus's destruction so they can do some destroying of their own.
Ligyron
(7,639 posts)Thank gawd for actual investigative reporters.
calimary
(81,467 posts)We HAVE TO take back the House and the Senate. Only then can we get anything constructive done.
Beartracks
(12,821 posts)Just bears repeating.
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Docreed2003
(16,875 posts)One more time just to make sure it sinks in...
FailureToCommunicate
(14,022 posts)Bill USA
(6,436 posts)about Hillary Clinton's emails. Real corruption, or sabotaging our democracy - by a Republican, they won't touch with a 100 ft pole.
dalton99a
(81,578 posts)SleeplessinSoCal
(9,145 posts)His Ayn Randian policies are killing our economy. That needs exposing so that more of the public will be interested in investing.
Scarsdale
(9,426 posts)refused to allow any investigation, when he was informed of the Russian hacking. He said it would "look to partisan" He said something very revealing too, when he declared "The next president will chose the SC nominee" after refusing hearings n President Obama's choice. Did Mitch the Bitch KNOW the election was fixed? His "wife" got an appointment in the administration. Payback?
SleeplessinSoCal
(9,145 posts)Can't imagine they expected Twitler. But now the he is there, McConnell ought to go - with a hook if necessary.
dae
(3,396 posts)record.
jalan48
(13,884 posts)What ever happened to the 4th Estate-our Founding Fathers believed it should play an important part in our system of government.
dem4decades
(11,304 posts)StarryNite
(9,460 posts)BumRushDaShow
(129,459 posts)I expect "the founders" figured that if people got pissed enough, they would bring about the change. Having single-party rule happens, but it doesn't happen as frequently as we envision it. The media then dubs it "divided government" and "what the people seem to want" and we have that chance by making sure to field candidates and GOTV in 2018 (since Impeachment starts in the House).
Section 1.
All legislative powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States, which shall consist of a Senate and House of Representatives.
Section 2.
The House of Representatives shall be composed of members chosen every second year by the people of the several states, and the electors in each state shall have the qualifications requisite for electors of the most numerous branch of the state legislature.
<...>
https://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/articlei
yardwork
(61,709 posts)If the Republicans control Congress, they control all investigations.
Cha
(297,655 posts)Blue Owl
(50,498 posts)dchill
(38,532 posts)red dog 1
(27,849 posts)Kudos to Politico and New York Magazine's Daily Intelligencer (& Jonathan Chait) for having the guts to cover this important story.