9 December 2020
The Week The Constitution has {an answer|a response} for seditious members of Congress
Let’s {review|evaluation} {two|2} pieces of news from the {last week|recently}. {{First|Initially}, the American coronavirus pandemic is entering its worst {stage|phase} yet, with {cases and deaths|deaths and cases} {skyrocketing|escalating|increasing} {across|throughout} the {country|nation}.|The American coronavirus pandemic is entering its worst {stage|phase} yet, with {cases and deaths|deaths and cases} {skyrocketing|escalating|increasing} {across|throughout} the {country|nation}.} Last Thursday saw over 3,000 deaths– more than 9/11 or Pearl Harbor– and with ICU beds at or near {capacity|capability} in {most of|the majority of} the {country|nation}, {absent|missing} {serious|major|severe} {change|modification} it is possible there will be double {or even|and even|or perhaps} triple that number {per day|each day|daily} in a matter of weeks. We {may|might} yet top the {deadliest|most dangerous} day in American history, the Galveston {hurricane|typhoon|cyclone} of 1900 that {killed|eliminated} {an estimated|an approximated} 8,000 {people|individuals}, {very soon|soon}. President Trump is doing {precisely|exactly|specifically} {nothing|absolutely nothing} about this.Second, Texas {Attorney General|Attorney general of the United States|Chief law officer} Ken Paxton, who is under {investigation|examination} for bribery and abuse of {office|workplace}, {filed|submitted} a baldly seditious {lawsuit|suit|claim} {calling for|requiring} the Supreme Court to {overturn|reverse} the election {results in|leads to} Georgia, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Michigan, and hand their electoral votes to Trump. It was flatly {an attempt|an effort} to {overturn|reverse} the 2020 election, end constitutional {government|federal government}, and {install|set up} Trump in power. {Before|Prior To} the Supreme Court {threw|tossed} the {suit|fit|match} out Friday night, 17 other Republican state {attorneys general|attorney generals of the United States|chief law officers} {had|had actually} joined him, {along with|together with|in addition to} 126 members of the Republican caucus in {the House|your home|your house}, while Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) {has|has actually} {agreed to|consented to|accepted} represent Trump. And this is {just|simply} {one of|among} {dozens|lots} of {attempts|efforts} that Republicans at all levels of {government|federal government} {have|have actually} {concocted|created|prepared|cooked up} to {overturn|reverse} Trump’s loss.In short, {material|product} conditions in this {country|nation} {have|have actually} not been this bad {since|because|considering that|given that} 1932 {at least|a minimum of}, and the political {situation|circumstance|scenario} {has|has actually} not been this bad {since|because|considering that|given that} 1860. The {logical|rational|sensible} endgame of the rapidly-accelerating Republican {attempt|effort} to {destroy|ruin|damage} democracy while the {country|nation} burns would be civil war– if it weren’t for the high {probability|possibility|likelihood} that Democratic leaders would be too {cowardly|afraid} to fight.But it{‘s worth| deserves} {thinking about|considering|thinking of} what {a party|a celebration} seriously {committed|dedicated} to {preserving|protecting|maintaining} democracy would do when {faced with|confronted with} a seditious opposition {party|celebration}– {namely|specifically|particularly}, cut them out of power and {force|require} them to {behave|act}. Democrats {could|might} {declare|state} all traitors {ineligible|disqualified} to serve in {national|nationwide} {office|workplace}, {convene|assemble} a Patriot Congress {composed|made up} {solely|entirely|exclusively} of {people|individuals} who {have|have actually} not {committed|dedicated|devoted} insurrection {against|versus} the American {government|federal government}, and {use|utilize} that power to re-entrench democracy.The {reasoning|thinking} here is {very|extremely|really} {simple|easy|basic}. All members of Congress swear an oath to {protect|safeguard|secure} and {defend|protect|safeguard} the Constitution, which {establishes|develops} a republican {form|type|kind} of {government|federal government}. {The whole|The entire} point of a republic is that contests for power are {conducted|carried out|performed} through {a framework|a structure} of {rules|guidelines} and democratic elections, where all {parties|celebrations} {agree to|consent to|accept} {respect|appreciate} the {result|outcome} whether they {lose or win|win or lose}. {{Moreover|Furthermore|Additionally}, the {premise|facility|property} of this {lawsuit|suit|claim} was {completely|totally|entirely} {preposterous|outrageous|unbelievable}– arguing in {effect|impact|result} that states {should|ought to|must|need to} not be {allowed|enabled|permitted} to set their own election {rules|guidelines} if that {means|implies|indicates|suggests} more Democrats can vote– and {provides|offers|supplies} no {evidence|proof} whatsoever for {false|incorrect} {allegations|accusations|claims} of {tens|10s} of {thousands of|countless} {instances|circumstances} of {voter|citizen} {fraud|scams}.|The {premise|facility|property} of this {lawsuit|suit|claim} was {completely|totally|entirely} {preposterous|outrageous|unbelievable}– arguing in {effect|impact|result} that states {should|ought to|must|need to} not be {allowed|enabled|permitted} to set their own election {rules|guidelines} if that {means|implies|indicates|suggests} more Democrats can vote– and {provides|offers|supplies} no {evidence|proof} whatsoever for {false|incorrect} {allegations|accusations|claims} of {tens|10s} of thousands of {instances|circumstances} of {voter|citizen} {fraud|scams}.} {{Indeed|Certainly|Undoubtedly}, {several|numerous} of the {representatives|agents} who support the {lawsuit|suit|claim} were themselves {just|simply} {elected|chosen} by the very votes they now {say|state} are {fraudulent|deceptive|deceitful}.|{Several|Numerous} of the {representatives|agents} who support the {lawsuit|suit|claim} were themselves {just|simply} {elected|chosen} by the very votes they now {say|state} are {fraudulent|deceptive|deceitful}.} The proposed {remedy|treatment|solution}– having Republican-dominated legislatures in {only|just} the {four|4} states that {gave|provided|offered} Biden his margin of {victory|success|triumph} {select|choose} Trump electors– would be straight-up election theft.In other words, this {lawsuit|suit|claim}, {even though|although|despite the fact that} it didn’t {succeed|be successful|prosper}, is {a flagrant|an ostentatious} {attempt|effort} to {{overturn|reverse} the constitutional system and {impose|enforce}|{impose|enforce} and {overturn|reverse} the constitutional system} through authoritarian {means|implies|indicates|suggests} the {rule|guideline} of a corrupt criminal whose doltish incompetence {has|has actually} gotten {hundreds of|numerous} {thousands of|countless} Americans {killed|eliminated}. It is a “seditious abuse of the judicial {process|procedure},” as the states of Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin {jointly|collectively} {wrote|composed} in their {response|reaction|action} to Texas {trying|attempting} to {steal|take} their elections.The Constitution, as goofy and jerry-rigged as it is, {stipulates|states|specifies} that insurrectionists who {violate|break|breach} their oath are not {allowed|enabled|permitted} to serve in Congress. {Section|Area} 3 of the Fourteenth {Amendment|Change|Modification}, {written|composed} to {exclude|omit|leave out} Confederate Civil War traitors, {says|states} that “No {person|individual} {shall|will} be a Senator or {Representative|Agent} in Congress … who … {having|having actually} {previously|formerly} taken an oath, as a member of Congress … to support the Constitution of the United States, {shall|will} have {engaged in|participated in|taken part in} insurrection or {rebellion|disobedience} {against|versus} the {same|exact same|very same} [] How the Supreme Court ruled, or whether Republicans {actually|really|in fact} {believe|think} their {lunatic|} claims, is {irrelevant|unimportant}. It’s still insurrection even if it {doesn’t|does not} work out.Democrats would have every right, both under the Constitution and under the {principle|concept} of popular sovereignty {outlined|described|detailed|laid out} in the {Declaration of Independence|Declaration}, to {convene|assemble} a traitor-free Congress ({also|likewise} {including|consisting of} {similar|comparable} acts {committed|dedicated|devoted} by Republican senators like Lindsey Graham, David Perdue, Kelly Loeffler, and others), and pass such laws as would be {necessary|required|needed|essential} to {preserve|protect|maintain} the American republic. That {might|may} {include|consist of} {a national|a nationwide} popular vote to {decide|choose} the presidency, ironclad {voting|ballot} rights {protections|securities|defenses}, {a ban|a restriction} on gerrymandering either {national|nationwide} or state district {boundaries|limits|borders}, {full|complete} representation for the {citizens|residents|people} of D.C. and Puerto Rico, {regulations|policies|guidelines} on {internet|web} platforms that are {inflaming|irritating} violent political extremism, a clear legal {framework|structure} for the transfer of power that ends the lame duck {period|duration}, and so on. States would be {forced|required} to {agree to|consent to|accept} these {measures|steps|procedures} {before|prior to} they can {replace|change} their traitorous {representatives|agents} and senators. If the Supreme Court {objects|items|things}, more pro-democracy justices can be added.This {wouldn’t|would not} be the {first time|very first time} such a thing {has|has actually} {happened|occurred|taken place}, either. {Immediately|Instantly|Right away} after the Civil War, the Radical {Republican|Republican politician} Congress {refused|declined} to seat delegations from the {former|previous} {rebellious|defiant} states {until|up until|till} they were {satisfied|pleased} with the {progress|development} of {Reconstruction|Restoration}. Southern states were {forced|required} to {ratify|validate} the Fourteenth and Fifteenth {Amendments|Changes|Modifications}– which {guaranteed|ensured} due {process|procedure} and universal male suffrage– {before|prior to} their congressional delegations would be seated. (As {a consequence|a repercussion|an effect}, those delegations {included|consisted of} {numerous|various|many} Black {representatives|agents}, {until|up until|till} {Reconstruction|Restoration} was {overthrown|toppled}.)It is {virtually|practically|essentially} {impossible|difficult} to {imagine|picture|think of|envision} the ancient, {timid|shy} fossils that run the Democratic {Party|Celebration} even considering this {kind of thing|example} (though {remarkably|incredibly|extremely}, Rep. {Bill|Expense|Costs} Pascrell of New Jersey has) {because|since|due to the fact that} it would {require|need} {courage|guts|nerve}, vision, and {honestly|truthfully} {reckoning with|considering} the parlous state of the {nation|country}. It would not be {illegal|unlawful|prohibited}, {but|however} it would be {a step|an action} beyond narrow legal proceduralism and into the uncharted waters of aggressive political {innovation|development} and raw will-to-power. It {could|might} {conceivably|possibly} touch off armed {unrest|discontent} in {several|a number of|numerous} states.But it’s not {hard|difficult|tough} to see where the {current|present|existing} conservative trajectory is headed. While {elected|chosen} {Republicans|Republican politicians} {have|have actually} {tried|attempted} to {overturn|reverse} the election {using|utilizing} {increasingly|progressively|significantly} {blatant|outright} {methods|techniques|approaches}, {top|leading} conservative {pundits|experts} are mulling the {idea|concept} of secession, as their treasonous fire-eater {forebears|forefathers} did 160 years {ago|back|earlier}. The lie that Biden {stole|took} the election is now {official|main} GOP dogma. By the {same|exact same|very same} token, it is not a coincidence that the {Republican|Republican politician} {Party|Celebration} is {ignoring|disregarding|neglecting|overlooking} the {deadly|fatal|lethal} pandemic (if not actively {spreading|spreading out} the {virus|infection}) while they {try|attempt} to {overturn|reverse} the Constitution. They feel they can {safely|securely} {ignore|disregard|neglect|overlook} the {welfare|well-being} of the American {people|individuals}, {because|since|due to the fact that} they are not {accountable|responsible|liable} to them.Unless this {escalating|intensifying} conservative extremism {halts|stops} from the {inside|within} {somehow|in some way}– which is not {remotely|from another location} in sight anywhere– this can {only|just} end {eventually|ultimately} in a violent {confrontation|conflict|fight}, or ({much more|a lot more|far more} {likely|most likely}) Democrats will {simply|just|merely} {give up|quit} and let themselves be {defeated|beat}. Still, this {country|nation} was {founded|established} by {people|individuals} who {thought|believed} it {was worth|deserved} putting their lives at {hazard|risk|danger|threat} to {throw off|shake off} {tyrannical|dictatorial|totalitarian|oppressive|despotic|high-handed} {rule|guideline}. {Perhaps|Possibly|Maybe} {some of|a few of} that spirit can {once|when|as soon as} again be found.More stories from theweek.com Barr {reportedly|apparently|supposedly} {unlikely|not likely} to {name|call} {special|unique} counsel to {investigate|examine} {voter|citizen} {fraud|scams}, Hunter Biden 7 criminally {funny|amusing} {cartoons|animations} about Trump’s {potential|prospective|possible} pardon spree {Prominent|Popular} GOP donor {urges|advises|prompts} Republican senators to {confirm|verify|validate} Biden’s DHS {pick|choice}
Source: news.yahoo.com