The Republicans are escalating their push toward an "Orbanist" authoritarian government under their control on several fronts. Continuing the long Republican drive to establish Dick Cheney's "Unitary Executive" government, this time with the Orange Clown in the Oval Office, President Trump's lawyer argued explicitly that the President is exempt from all laws as long as he's President. Pete Williams reported for NBC News (Trump's lawyers argue he can't be charged while in office — even if he shoots someone 10/23/2019):
The long-standing view of the Justice Department is that a president cannot be indicted while in office. William Consovoy, Trump's lawyer, told the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals that the immunity extends to the entire criminal justice process, including grand jury subpoenas for documents. ...That's where we are at not yet three years into the Trump Presidency.
Carey Dunne, New York District Attorney Cy Vance Jr.'s general counsel, said the president's position is too absolute.
There could be examples in which a state should be able to conduct a criminal investigation of a sitting president, "if, for example, he did pull out a handgun and shoot someone on Fifth Avenue."
Asked about that, Consovoy said a president could be charged with such a crime once he was out of office or if he was impeached and removed from office. "This is not a permanent immunity," he said.
"I'm talking about while in office. Nothing could be done? That's your position?" Judge Denny Chin asked.
"That is correct," Consovoy said.
And the Republicans in Congress mobbed a closed and specially secured hearing room to prevent a Pentagon official from testifying before the House Committee investigating what's come to be known as the Ukraine scandal. This is a 17-minute PBS Newshour report, Republicans disrupt testimony in Trump impeachment inquiry 10/23/2019:
PBS also has an AP story of the same name here. Matt Fuller and Arthur Delaney report on it in Republicans Try To Storm Impeachment Room, Break Rules In Process Huffpost 10/23/2019
The PBS Newshour item on it from the daily program took a "this-side-says, the-other-side-says" approach to the reporting it, though they followed it up with a more analytical discussion, though conventionally scrupulous in presenting Both Sides. It also discusses the Unitary Executive immunity claim the Administration is making in Court. GOP lawmakers violate House rules to disrupt Pentagon official's testimony PBS Newshour 10/24/2019:
Yamiche Alcindor notes in that report:
The scheduled witness was Laura Cooper, who oversees Ukraine policy at the Pentagon. She was expected to discuss the $400 million in military aid for Ukraine that President Trump temporarily blocked.And Democratic Congressman Eric Swalwell is quoted saying, "The tactics are in an effort to delay the inevitable. They have obstructed the hearing. It was an effort to intimidate a witness. They brought in electronics into a secure room." (my emphasis)
But Republicans brought cell phones into the facility, where phones are not allowed. Cooper's testimony was delayed for hours.
Of course the Republicans will defend this action. It's who they are. But this was not a case of ordinary citizens or people deprived of a voice demand attention and action for an important issue. And Republicans sit on the committee whose hearing from which they claim that they are being excluded.
But it's important for the Democrats to recognize the level of escalation in which the Republicans are engaging. More than interrupting the immediate testimony and getting on the news with their phony protest against being excluded, they are showing their base and the public more generally that they are willing to fight. The Democrats have to find a way to show they can fight back effectively, e.g., by some formal sanction against members of the Republican mob yesterday who violated security procedures by bringing mibile phones into areas where they were banned. But they need to understand that they need to show the public, the press, and the Democratic base that they are at least as committed to fighting back as the Republicans were in staging this scene and exploiting it to the hilt in their political propaganda.
This MSNBC report featuring Democratic Congressman Ro Khanna illustrates some of the ways the Democrats can legitimately push back against this action, Oversight Cmte. Member: Republican Deposition Stunt Like A 'Fraternity' 10/24/2019:
As we know, Dear Leader Trump likes mob scenes:
The group of Republicans who disrupted an impeachment inquiry hearing by storming into a secure room at the Capitol had the blessing of President Trump https://t.co/x7N7vxN2Ze— Bloomberg Politics (@bpolitics) October 23, 2019
Ask yourself: would those unpatriotic, law-breaking Republicans have disrupted the impeachment hearings (by busting into a secure facility), if they believed the witnesses’ testimony was exonerating #trump?— Stephen Walt (@stephenWalt) October 24, 2019
Using mobs for propaganda isn't a new tactic for the Republicans. One of the most dramatic moments in the disputed Florida vote count in 2000 was the "Brooks Brothers Riot" staged by the Republicans. See:
- John Latigua, Miami's rent-a-riot Salon 11/28/2000
- Miranda Spencer, Who Won the Election? Who Cares? FAIR 01/01/2002
- Mickey Kaus, Everything the New York Times Thinks About the Florida Recount Is Wrong! Slate 11/13/2001
- Mickey Kaus, Update: Hot Recount Docs! Slate 11/19/2001
- Michael Miller, ‘It’s insanity!’: How the ‘Brooks Brothers Riot’ killed the 2000 recount in Miami Washington Post 11/15/2018
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