Two Party Opera by Brian Carroll for January 08, 2021

Option: “Maybe there is a second amendment solution”.

With respect to Pence, if he hasn’t yet figured out that his political career is finished, he’s almost as delusional as Trump.

Let’s take the Buchanan option, after all he is from Pennsylvania, upon which this elections swung and upon which the objectors targeted after Arizona.

left out the most abhorrent option – assassination…

Difficult to invoke the 25th when Pence has locked himself in his house and won’t answer the phone.

The “timing” problem is overwhelming. Impeachment and the 25th Amendment both would carry with them a right to counsel, and no proceedings could be instituted without an opportunity for counsel to adequately prepare. In short, we have run out of time. Sadly, the Buchanan option is the only one which makes any sense—right now. After the inauguration, impeachment should be pursued so that he can never again hold the office. But for now, unfortunately, we must wait and hope and pray he doesn’t start playing sudoku with the nuclear codes.

Pence had thoughts of running for POTUS himself after Trump, but that never was Trump’s plan. The Trump plan was to serve two terms and if unable to finagle a way to serve more, have one of his kids(probably Ivanka) succeed him. After Ivanka then maybe Baron. The Trump Dynasty…I shudder to think about it.

Treat him like the Tour de France treated Lance Armstrong: delete any and all mention of him for the years 2016 through 2021. Delete all executive orders issued by him. Reverse all administrative and legislative changes throughout the Federal government.

Under Eminent Domain, confiscate all his golf courses, buildings, etc. and convert them to homeless shelters/community vegetable gardens.

Change the twenty-dollar bill to celebrate Harriet Tubman, now.

fusilier

James 2:24

OBTW, there isn’t even an asterisk in the records; those years simply don’t exist.

And somebody beat me to this: https://images.app.goo.gl/MFFHCKeGKB7U1tMJ7

I understand they can impeach him AFTER he leaves office, which would ensure that he can NEVER run again – as well as removing the rights and privileges of an ex-president, which would also be reassuring. He can pay for his own damn security now.

Trump’s speech yesterday reminded me of filmed statements from hostages when someone is pointing a gun out them from off-camera. It looks like someone finally got through to him.

I still say tranquilize the lame duck (with apologies to ducks everywhere) and put him to bed until Jan 21

Is tar and feathers still an option?

While Adam Kinzinger may be the only Republican on record as supporting impeachment (hopefully, there are others, but they haven’t as yet spoken up), switching to Adam’s other hat – LtCol in the ANG – apparently, military leaders are lining up, demanding the 25th.

Hopefully, this would mean, if the Donald tried to implement Martial Law (which was my speculation Wednesday, what he really wanted to do), at this point, the Military may well just write it off as an unlawful order and, therefore, lawfully disobey the commander in chief.

Sadly… I suspect the only option that will occur is the Buchanan Option.

I firmly believe that Pence and all the Republicans will use this “Buchanan Option” to give themselves enough time to read the “lay of the land” on how they will do what is best for THEMSELVES. We have seen a variety of folks “jump ship” already (like DeVos) because it is in THEIR best interest to do so.

The reality is that what has happened is truly horrid. But, damn…. it is NOT shocking, NOR surprising… it is just more of the same that tRump has done his entire four years. For all the Republicans to be acting all “hand wringingly upset” now… just feels disingenuous and self serving. The amount of horror that has occurred via tRump and the Republicans who followed him during these total FOUR YEARS…. is FAR, FAR greater in total than just what happened Wednesday afternoon. And, yet, none of them much if anything about the horrors across the four years.

pretty sure we already know the preferred option by our “leaders.”

Great strip. Gail Collins noted that Ted Cruz argues for a “commission” to look into the election (for the umpteenth time) because that’s what they did back in 1876, and anyway polling shows that 39% of the American people believe that the election was “rigged”. She adds that these are great arguments, if you want to base important public policy on a poll (of self-evidently low-information people) and the political problems of Rutherford B. Hayes.

It is important to note that people who have actually looked into the balloting, as opposed to people who peddle rumors about water mains and mysterious suitcases and who in general seem to have little knowledge about how balances change as the tallying of ballots progresses, uniformly find no fraud beyond the occasional jerk who voted in his deceased mother’s name, or whatever. (Those glitches seem to be always Republicans, at least I haven’t seen any reports of Democrats doing that.) Oh, and also there’s a general suspicion that the only way a Democrat can win an election is if it’s rigged.

In truth, admit it: all presidential elections are rigged. It’s called the Electoral College. Note that Tom Cotton is worried that the current uproar might result in doing away with that institution, which (he dares not say it out loud) is the only means by which Republicans can ever win the presidency.

Good Zeus, Brian, could we get off the 25th Amendment bandwagon? It doesn’t apply in this situation. The 25th only provides for the vice president to become president when a president is out of office because of death, resignation or removal. The 25th clearly says that in the very first sentence of the amendment. It has nothing to do with ridding the nation of an unfit, incompetent, buffoonish president. We have elections and the impeachment process to do that.

The original Constitution says that upon the death or other reasons a president cannot finish his (hopefully someday, her) term, the vice president will assume the duties of the presidency, but not become a new president.

The 25th was adopted because of the assassination of John Kennedy when Lyndon Johnson was administered the presidential oath of office on the airplane before flying back to Washington. Johnson was still the vice president and that left no second in command who had been put in office by a national vote. The speaker of the House (third in line) was elected by one small segment of the population (one House district of 435 districts) so did not have a national mandate. The 25th was adopted to remedy this weakness.

The American government already set a precedent in 1974 when congress made a deal with Richard Nixon: Leave now, and still enjoy all the privileges of an ex-president with a PARDON. (Honorable discharge). Gerald Ford announced “let’s put this behind us and move forward.” Well, here it is, back to bite us in the ass!

I’m holding my breath until After the Inauguration to see if they Attack That.

Or just go Whole Hog and stage an Assassination attempt.

Trump’s “draft folder” does him no good when Twitter is cancelling his accounts left and right now.

AND, as for the 25th. Amendment… it WOULD apply here, as covered under Section 4 of the amendment.

Section 4. Whenever the Vice President and a majority of either the principal officers of the executive departments or of such other body as Congress may by law provide, transmit to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives their written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, the Vice President shall immediately assume the powers and duties of the office as Acting President.

Hair Furor would have NOTHING to do with the decision to invoke the 25th.

Well, Option 2 & 3 are dead on arrival. Not even gonna consider option 4 because we WON the election and don’t need to compromise anything just to get a few more wing nuts to recognize that reality.

Option 4 isn’t necessary (yet), and Option 5 isn’t an Option, it’s what we were doing when he pulled this latest stunt.

So that leaves….